PMD: When Fire Falls
by ProfessorLugia
Summary: Separated, outnumbered, and hopelessly outmatched... Team Firestorm is being hunted down one by one. It certainly doesn't help matters when the Police arrest Connor. But when a plethora of new allies they never even knew they had start helping them, Team Firestorm finds a small sliver of hope. Maybe it will be enough for them to survive. Then again, maybe not. Only time will tell.
1. Awakening

**Here we are, my readers... This is When Fire Falls. It's been a long time in the making... I've been concocting this story's plot on the side ever since I started writing the Blazing Hearts. It's gonna be even more perilous than the Blazing Hearts, and it will focus more on the death aspect of the creation Trio (Dialga, Palkia and Giratina), and also... Magic. Lots of magic. And more new characters that play an important role in the story! As if we didn't have enough of those already! :P**

 ***For the people who have no idea what's going on* - Basically, This is a sequel to a sequel to a sequel of PMD: Firestorm Origins, which is the base of all of this. If you haven't read the other ones yet, I can't guarantee you'll be able to keep track of what's what. Also, if this message applies to you... Welcome to the world of Team Firestorm! I always enjoy expanding my audience with each publication, and I hope you'll stick around and become a part of my second family!**

 **I'll quit rambling and let you get to reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: When Fire Falls**

 **-Prologue-**

 **-Connor-**

"Magnezone, please! You're making a mistake- AGH!" He was shocked again by the Magneton as he was escorted down the narrow corridors of the facility.

*Zzzt! Connor… I appreciate all that you've done for us… That is why I am doing this. Zzzt!* Magnezone said without looking back.

"Doing what?"

*Zzzt! I will do everything in my power to prove your innocence… I do not believe you are the one responsible for this. Zzzt!*

"Then why are you still arresting me?" he demanded.

*Zzzt! There is video evidence of you violating multiple laws set in place and committing a nine-star crime. The penalty for attacking a single officer in the line of duty is more often than not a forty-year sentence at a bare minimum. On top of jailbreaking one of the three ten-star rank criminals that had been apprehended, I do not see this ending well for you or your team. No matter how much it pains me, I must do my duty as an officer of the law until there is evidence that proves your innocence. Zzzt!*

"Please, if you have to arrest me, at least let my team stay together! Give them a fighting chance!"

*Zzzt! The deed is done, Connor… I cannot undo it. Zzzt!*

"What… What do you mean, 'you can't undo it?!' My team is being hunted down by a Bisharp named Mordred and his big group of maniacal pokémon! I've already lost three team members because of him, and now you've just made it easier for him to hunt us down! I promise you, I've been framed! You're the one in charge of this thing, so let me go!"

*Zzzt! There are others above me at the moment, Connor… I apologize, but I must do my assigned duty. Zzzt!*

A hatch opened up in front of them with a glowing field of energy expanding, like a net or protect barrier, and Magnezone uncuffed Connor. *Zzzt! Step forward!*

"This can't be happening…" He moved closer to the door and slowly stepped over the line. As he stepped through, nothing felt any different, but Magnezone closed the door, which was made of glass, apparently, and said, *Zzzt! I'm sorry, Connor… Zzzt!*

The wall in front of him glowed blue before vanishing in front of his eyes. He gasped and looked behind him, but it was solid stone. He stepped forward into the massive chamber full of pokémon with multiple rooms carved into the walls, with padded doors and lofts everywhere. It was kind of like a massive motel in a mountain. He looked around at the pokémon gathering around him, the only light being a large crystal cluster hanging from the ceiling a hundred feet above them. Then he tripped over his own feet, busting his face on the cold, stone-hard ground.

The Machoke closest to him picked him up by his shoulders and chuckled, "So what did you do?"

Don't say Team Firestorm… Or that you're framed. "I released Soulburner from the maximum security ward and got caught."

"Hmph. Why don't any of us little guys have someone to get us out?" The Machoke dropped him, and he saw an Aggron walking through the crowd. They all parted for him without him having to say a word. Connor narrowed his eyes as the Steel-type smirked. "So… What's your name?"

"...Pascal." Connor blurted the first name that came to mind. The one that Cassandra had called that other Swampert. It worked for the time being.

The Aggron chuckled. "Pascal? Ha-ha-ha-ha! That sounds like some kind of food!" As the rest of the pokémon laughed at him, Connor took that opportunity to size him up. An Aggron relies a lot on hand-to-hand combat, as well as their stupidly hard armor. And they were plenty strong without any special moves. Well, so was he… He could shatter boulders without much effort. Then the laughing stopped as soon as the Aggron raised his hand. "Well, guess what, 'Pascal'... I'm in charge here. I. own. you." The metal colossus took a step closer, and Connor clenched his fists. "That's not how this works. From here on out, you leave me alone. If you don't like it, then you'll just have to fight me." Oh, Arceus… That was stupid.

"Hmph. You got guts, punk." The Aggron snarled, and four pokémon surrounded him. He crouched low to the ground and felt the air currents around him to sense what pokémon they were, all without taking his eyes off of the giant in front of him. An Electabuzz, Primeape, Ursaring and a Rhydon, it felt like. He could take them, probably. He had some practice fighting without using any special moves… But four on one?

"Why can't you fight me yourself?"

The Aggron smiled and crossed his arms. "I'll give you the same answer I give every other pokémon that tries to challenge me-"

"You say you're the toughest one in here, but you can't even take me on by yourself?"

The Steel-type growled and nodded once, as if giving an order. The Ursaring and Rhydon grabbed each one of his arms and held him up from behind. He strained against them and tried to kick their legs, but his hind legs weren't exactly built for kicking.

The Aggron smirked and extended his arms out. "Here's why… I've already claimed my spot at the top. I don't waste my time with fresh meat like you."

"Why not? You afraid that you'll lose?" What're you doing?! Just shut up! He scolded himself, but kept a neutral expression.

The Aggron's smug smile vanished. "Not in the slightest. But I've had a dozen other pokémon try to bait me into a fight the same exact way."

"Did you fight them yourself? Or have your little minions do it for you?"

The Aggron's glare unnerved him slightly, but it pointed at him and snarled. "You'd better choose your next words carefully. You're new 'round here, so you'd do well to keep your head down and mind your own business."

"There's only one problem with that." Connor began. "You see…" He used hydro pump to try and catch the Aggron off guard, but only a small trickle of water came out of his mouth. The Aggron chuckled and began closing in. "Yeah; Magnezone's energy field negates all our abilities and special moves." He clenched his fist and hit Connor's gut. "But I don't need special moves to take you down."

Connor chuckled after catching his breath. "That all you got?"

The Aggron arched an eyebrow and punched him again, this time a lot harder, but Connor kept up his act, smiling as he caught his breath again. "I've fought a Machamp hand-to-hand and won. You're gonna need to do better than that."

The Steel colossus snarled in response, and Connor knew that he'd challenge him. "Alright, drop 'em. This punk needs to be put in line."

All of the pokémon spread out and dropped him on the ground, giving them a small circle about fifteen feet across. Connor couldn't help but feel slightly relaxed. That Aggron doesn't hit anywhere near as hard as Atlas or Vulcan. And he even had a straight shot at my stomach. This should be easy, even without Ancient Power or Hydro Pump. And this will give me some time to toughen up without being pummeled by the Mafia.

 **-?-**

"You know… I always thought that good and evil were two opposites… Like black and white, or fire and water. Good and evil… There is no grey area, no… point in the middle where it is debatable. But… They have done some horrible things as well. They've murdered over ten pokémon… Banished one pokémon to an entirely different reality… And yet they are considered the 'good guys'. Why is that?" a gentle, female, silvery voice cut through the air like a blade, echoing off of the walls around her and the pokémon sitting across from her. "Because they've done more good than evil?"

"They've saved the world twice. And they only hurt others in self-defense, or if their mission requires it." the other pokémon replied with a hint of annoyance.

The first pokémon looked down at the table and hummed quietly. "That might be true… But that's also gotten me thinking… What if good and evil are more closely related than we thought? After all, what's good and evil is just an illusion… a lie made by those that wish to control others. The law, the one thing that defines what is good… exists solely to prevent chaos. However, chaos is not evil. Chaos is… something more than that. Evil pokémon ignore the laws set in place, whether they benefit society as a whole, or harm society. Outlaws, for example. They use others to benefit themselves or other, less powerful pokemon. Is that wrong?"

"Yes."

"Now, riddle me this… is it evil?"

"Evil…?"

The first pokémon chuckled slightly and took a deep breath. "Oh, your muddled morals amuse me… If you exploit those with power… Say, steal food or money from them… And give it to those that cannot afford it, or those that are not strong enough to go to a Mystery Dungeon and get it themselves… You're taking care of others, only… at the expense of other, more fortunate pokémon. Robbing the rich to feed the poor, to make it simple. Does that make you an evil pokémon?"

"Yes… I-I mean…"

She smiled gently and placed one hand on the table between them. "Even now, you don't know the differences between good and evil. And that is because the entire concept is one blurred idea."

"What about the Pokémon Mafia? Do you think they are evil?" the second pokémon questioned. An obvious attempt to use her own emotions against her.

The first pokémon took a deep breath and forced an annoyed smile. "I believe that there is a special place in the deepest, darkest, most horrid depths of the Distortion World for those that are cruel to others for the sake of cruelty."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Fine. Always one to get to the point, aren't you, Briar? If you want my answer… No. They are not evil. They are simply pokémon doing what is right in their own eyes, as does every other pokémon. They are a group of outlaws that take in other outlaws and, for a lack of better words, save them from spending years in prison, and just so happen to make profits from it. Their reasons for taking down this team do not concern me."

"I am aware of that. Your reluctance to help tells me plenty about whose side you're on."

"Oh, honey! My, oh my… Even after all these years… You haven't learned, have you? I don't take sides, especially when it comes to Exploration Teams. And besides... I've seen what will happen to that particular team… And it's not pretty."

"That is why I'm here. Dialga has allowed us to come here en mass. All that were in the future of Darkness were permitted to help preserve this timeline."

"What can you hope to do? The future is written in stone. They are all destined to perish… In the most tragic way imaginable."

"Your oracle is incorrect. The future is never certain." the Sceptile replied.

"There are some things that not even Dialga knows. And if you tell me that he knows everything… then you really aren't as smart as you think you are."

"...I agree, some things are obscured, even to him… But-"

"This is one of those things. No matter what you do, no matter how hard you fight… Their legacy will come to a painful end."

"Then at least offer your help. For me. Attempt to make a difference." Briar pleaded.

"Of course I will," The other pokémon huffed. "That team has done more against the Mafia than any other in history. If I didn't already know the future, then I might allow myself to think that they can win."

"Their fate is not written in stone. History is constantly being rewritten."

"Fate and history are two entirely separate things, Briar. History is fluid. You know this. Once this timeline is altered by you, a Temporal Guardian, it creates another branch in the reality of the world for this timeline to reside in. However… Fate… what happens to those that are here… It is not so easy to change. Large-scale events such as resetting the future of darkness? Those will happen no matter what. Even if the human kept his memories… History would still be rewritten. Even if Grovyle remained Primal Dialga's servant alongside Dusknoir… The human would have found a way by himself. Even without his 'almighty aura powers'."

"...That's-"

"My point is this!" the other pokémon cut Briar off. "Another large scale event such as Team Firestorm's end? There is no avoiding it. It is coming, whether you are ready or not. So brace yourself."

 **-Chapter I: Awakening-**

 **-Jade-**

When she awoke, she was cold and suffocating. She coughed twice and flew straight upwards, bursting from the thick, fluffy snow that had piled on top of her while she was unconscious. She shuddered and took a moment to calm down and analyze the situation. Connor was… arrested… And then… how did I get here? She took a deep breath and looked around further. There wasn't much here… It was a barren valley with hills of snow, with the occasional dead tree poking through the mounds of snow. The sky was a crystal blue color, not a single cloud in sight. The sun was setting over the mountains to her left, and she scanned the entire snowfield for signs of movement. Where am I? I don't recognize this place… And where are the others?

She floated above the snowbanks and continued scanning the area. This could very well be an illusion or a nightmare… I don't have any memory of how I got here. However… Connor was apprehended after being framed by the Mafia, that much I recall.

She quickly thought of any reasonable explanation as to how Connor was framed so thoroughly. She knew that the mafia had a Zoroark, but its illusions don't work if it enters the energy field… Only identified officers keep their abilities.

Dawn. That was who came to mind first. When she first laid eyes on her, she knew something was different. No pokémon is that eager to help a team that is in this kind of danger, yet alone stay after a pokémon is killed in cold blood. Even if Alice had a reviver seed that time.

But she's done nothing to arouse any suspicion, aside from lashing out at Atlas one time. And that was with probable cause. As much as I loathe to admit… She's done nothing to betray our trust… At least, not openly. But thinking about that right now is not important. I have to find a way back.

She sighed and sunk into the snow until she was waist-deep. It was relaxing to feel at home. The snow was absolutely real… But how did she get here? "Connor was framed for releasing a Chandelure… Then Magnezone took our badges…" She gasped as she looked at the dead 'trees' more closely. If an exploration Team Member was to be stripped of their badges, they will be returned to their places of origin.

Her eyes widened as she hoisted herself out of the snow and drifted closer to the blackened plant life. "No…"

As she floated closer, she recognized the burnt pieces of wood as scaffolding… And support beams. "No, no, no, no, NO! NO!"

A cloud cover drifted across the valley as a light powder snow began falling. "NO! I swore I'd never come here again!" Tears welled up in her eyes and froze on her face. She extended her hand and used psychic to push the snow aside, and after five minutes of moving snow, eight feet beneath the powder, scattered across the ground, was the ruins of her first home. She gasped and covered her mouth as she slowly lowered herself into the crater she made.

She used psychic to lift the remaining debris, hundreds of pieces of charred, blackened wood, and small hills of ash mixed into the permafrost that had set over it. She sobbed and turned to one of the corner beams that was still standing. She brushed the ash off of it to reveal three sets of initials carved into the wood.

 _IM Iris Meljanac_

 _HM Hazel Meljanac_

 _EM Eric Meljanac_

 _This confirms it…_ She thought bitterly. _I swore I'd never come back… Yet here I am…_

"Arceus, no… Why am I here? What have I done to deserve this?" she cried weakly.

Then she felt a cold draft behind her, followed by a tinkling laugh. "Tee-hee-hee-hee… What's this? A visitor?"

"That voice…" she murmured with disbelief, and as she turned around, a wall of sleet and ice washed over her.

 **-Mirage-**

"Ow!" she re-appeared over the northern desert and fell face-first into the sand. She shook it off of her and took rapid, shallow breaths in an attempt to calm herself. "No… Connor would never do that! And he was with us! And Rose is…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Alright, Mirage… just count to five… It's all fine… One… two… three…" She opened her eyes and hit the ground in frustration. "Gah! Can we not catch a break?!"

A random Cacnea came up to her after a moment, and she raised her fist. "What are you looking at?"

"Just wondering what's wrong, miss… You seem mad."

"Nothing! Just leave me alone!"

"But-"

"Go away, Nocturne! You're not here anymore!" she gasped and collapsed onto the sand dune and wept after she realized what she said.  
The Cacnea raised its hands and slowly backed away, then burrowed into the ground.

"We're all separated now, after all we went through… Just to be… killed off by some random criminals?" She whimpered to herself.

She heard a faint whispering in the back of her head as the sand began to shift around her. _But there is a way to stop them..._

She shook her head and said, "No… I won't ask them for help."

 _But they can help… The king and queen of the sands..._

"No! I don't want their help! That's why I left this place!"

 _But Mirage… This is your home. Your parents-_

She grabbed at the sides of her head and screamed, "SHUT UP!"

The voices receded until she was lying on the ground in silence. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she hit the sand repeatedly with her fists, not really doing much damage besides moving it around a little bit. "I LEFT BECAUSE I HATE THEM! THIS IS NOT MY HOME! MY TEAM IS MY HOME! MY FRIENDS! MY FAMILY! I'D RATHER DIE BEFORE I GIVE THAT UP!"

She opened her mouth and bellowed a flamethrower with all of her might, melting the sand into molten. She flew above it, and with a beat of her wings, turned the molten sand into glass. She looked up at the partially cloudy sky and screamed at the top of her lungs. "I was strong for them! I didn't cry! I gave up everything I was to join them! And this is how I'm repaid?! "

 _Someone is coming!_ the voice in her head blurt out.

She exhaled through her nose and put her senses on high alert. In the corner of her eye, she saw a slight ripple in the air, like an invisible pokemon. She dove out of the way and felt the wind rush past her as an invisible pokémon narrowly missed tackling her in midair. She looked around frantically for any signs of movement, and the sand beneath her condensed and rose up around another invisible pokémon, dragging it to the ground. Mirage gasped and flew away as fast as she could. She flew with all of her might and used sandstorm to block out the sun and disappear into the desert.

 **-Nashoba-**

 **This… Is Luminous Spring. Those that seek awakening, step forth.**

He wrapped his sun scarf around his wrist and stepped onto the water. The light that shone on the center of the pond shifted until it was pointed directly on him like a spotlight. Underneath his feet, the water solidified as he took another step. He looked over his shoulder at his team, and Zenith excitedly gestured for him to keep walking. Cosmo simply smiled while Shinobu sat cross-legged on the shore with a neutral expression.

He took a deep breath as the voice spoke again. **Riolu… This is Luminous Spring. Do you seek to evolve?**

"Yes."

 **Do you need an item to do so?**

"Yes. My sun scarf."

The light shone slightly brighter and narrowed into a spotlight that focused on the item around his neck.

 **So be it… Seeker of awakening... let us begin.**

The scarf glowed with a brilliant blue aura and dissolved into steam. The light focused around him as the steam curled upwards, then snaked back down into his throat. He gasped as he felt the energy inside of him increase and his muscles expanded in a split moment. His tail elongated, and even the bumps on his forearms shifted and grew to a sharp point on the back of his hands. He closed his eyes as the light lifted him from the ground, and when he was set back down, his scarf was wrapped around his neck, and his entire body was brimming with power. He could sense every living thing for a hundred meters with his eyes closed. He clenched his fist, and blue smoke curled upwards as the energy crackled in his open palm.

He stood up shakily and took a step forward, but stumbled and fell into the water.

 **When awakening is what you seek, you will return.**

Cosmo lifted him out of the water with psychic and smiled from ear to ear as she set him gently him on the shore. "It actually worked! I can't believe it!"

Nashoba looked at his paws and chuckled with amazement. "I cannot believe it either… To think that it's finally time." He smiled and took another step forward, this time without wavering in the slightest. He closed his eyes and shut off his primary senses, and his aura vision solidified until he could see the light blue outlines of everything, living and not, and hear the thoughts of his entire team as if they were speaking.

 _We stand a chance now…_ Shinobu's voice echoed.

 _He might be able to beat me..._ Zenith crossed his arms while appearing to be sizing Nashoba up, and he chuckled warmly. "This is spectacular…" He opened his eyes and his senses returned. "I never imagined this… How powerful I am…"

He started walking away from the light of the springs and began picking up speed. "Let's go. Team Firestorm's fate rests in our hands."

* * *

 **It feels good to be back, guys. In all honesty, I missed you all. It's been a long journey writing this, filled with writers' block and constantly changing plot points and not enough free time... I didn't think I'd make it by the end of summer. But I did. Now, it's not 100% completed. It's about 85% done. I'll finish the last few chapters while I post over the course of the next month or two. So... Yeah! Also, I apologize for the super cliché 'prison boss' thing.**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter, go ahead and give the story a follow and a favorite! And if you have any questions, comments, concerns or suggestions for plot points, feel free to leave them in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	2. Forests and Fire

**Okay, so since I have an absurd amount of characters in my stories... I'll post a chart at the beginning of all the chapters, detailing which species the characters are in that chapter that aren't Team Firestorm. Unless it's a character's first reveal. Then I won't. For surprise, obviously.**

 **Briar- Sceptile**

 **Talis- Toxicroak**

* * *

 **-Chapter II: Forests and Fire-**

 **-Grovyle-**

"What do we do, Amber?" Grovyle scowled and stared at her. He had wanted to stop Magnezone, but Amber had insisted that they stay out of police business. They had an assigned task, and their identity as Temporal Guardians had to remain a secret to all but Team Firestorm.

"We wait. Wigglytuff said that he will get Connor out, so that is what will happen."

"Are you sure? Even for him, that's a big task."

"He is the most powerful of us all. If the Mafia can break an outlaw out and frame Team Firestorm in the process, it will be simple for him to get Connor out without much trouble."

Grovyle grunted and clenched his fists. "I don't like this… Even if it is Wigglytuff, we shouldn't have let Magnezone take Connor in the first place."

"There is no point in bickering over it, my son," Briar replied after reappearing next to them. "What's done is done. Our duty is to protect them… If their leader is arrested… We must compensate for the horrible turn of events by applying even greater effort. And I have every intention of doing so."

"But how? How can we overcome this? Dialga said that this was our only chance to change this timeline's history again as Temporal Guardians, and now we are days away from failing."

Briar sighed and seemed to be in deep thought before murmuring, "I don't know…"

"But why did this plan fail? You said doing going to Treasure Town was the best chance at success." Grovyle questioned. "That should have worked!"

"I said it was the best chance. Not a good chance. I anticipated that something along these lines would happen. When the Mafia hadn't found us near Drenched Bluff, it obviously meant that they were up to something else for the time being. I just didn't anticipate the police turning against Connor so easily."

"...What now, Amber?" Galvantula asked.

"We find them and protect them." The pitch-black Charizard replied.

"By splitting up?" Grovyle questioned. "That's the only way we can get to them all in time. We've already tested Dialga's patience with our temporal manipulation. Doing so again for an extended period of time without any immediate danger to ourselves would leave him less than pleased." he sighed and looked to the ground momentarily, trying to think of a solution.

Dusknoir grunted softly, then spoke up. "Amber, I do not suggest splitting up. Even for the Temporal Guardians… Without your temporal manipulation, it is a dangerous journey."

Tyranitar growled and began walking faster. "Then we go get to them as a group, one at a time... before it's too late."

 **-Caroline-**

"Guys, this isn't funny! Seriously Roy, you'd better not be using nightmare as a prank, or you're gonna get a lung full of poison powder when I see you!"

She looked around at the semi-dense forest she was in and took a deep breath. "Listen, there's no way Connor would be arrested, and no way we'd all be separated. But I'll act as if it's real for a little while, alright? I'll play your game."

She sighed and laid down underneath the shade of the nearest forest shrub, ducking down to avoid scraping the top of her head. She exhaled heavily, and dozens of thorny vines as thick as ropes emerged from the ground and formed a chamber around her. She shook her head and tried to stand up, but yelped as a single thorn embedded itself in her head. "I didn't want to do that! I wanted regular vines! Thorny plants are so ugly!"

"Have you ever seen a Rose? Because I can't think of a prettier plant, to be quite honest."

She rapidly closed her eyes tight and shook her head. "No way… It can't be you…"

"Open your eyes, Caroline."

She opened one eye warily, and a familiar Marshtomp was sitting down next to her, smiling shyly. She gasped and teared up. "Ryder…? Is it really you?"

"Yep. Kind of shocking, isn't it?"

"Arceus, how are you even here?! You're in the other world! The… Our reality!"

"I was brought here yesterday by a weird-colored Delphox. Her fur was silver, and her dress was purple and pink. She said that you needed me."

"A silver Delphox…?"

 _Just like the one that brought me here… And took my strength two years ago. Is that even possible?_

She pushed the thought away and smiled with joy at seeing her best friend for the first time in almost three years. "Arceus, Ryder, I'm just glad to see you again…" She leaned her head over his shoulder as tears rolled down her face. "But is it really you…?"

"Yes… Caroline, it's really me. We saved the world, remember?"

"I know… But… Okay, tell me something that only you would know!"

He smiled warmly and said, "Alright… When you found me, I was washed onto the shore at the beach so hard that I almost knocked you out."

After some consideration, she nodded. "Alright, fine. So what happened after I… left?"

"Nothing, really… After the whole Darkrai incident, one night I went to sleep and you weren't there the next morning. Then the day after that, some silver Delphox comes to the Guild and says that I'm needed somewhere else."

"Along with Team Veros." She hadn't intended to say that out loud, but that team was in their reality as well, as much as she hated to admit.

He shifted uncomfortably and stared at her for a moment. "What? They're here too?"

"Yeah… But I don't know how. I don't even really know how I got here, I just woke up and… you were gone. I saw another Mudkip and thought it might have been you, but it wasn't..."

"Regardless… What's going on? Why are you alone?"

"Connor… My leader, he… he was framed and got arrested. We were all separated."

"I heard from the Delphox that some big criminal organization is after you guys."

"Yeah… I don't even know why. I think Vulcan- er, my co-leader... his dad did something to make them mad, and now they're taking it out on us since they can't find him."

"That's not good..."

She sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "Tch! Tell me about it!"

She flinched as a raindrop fell onto her head, and Ryder chuckled. "You're still afraid of rain?"

"No!"

Another raindrop, and she exhaled deeply again and willed the plants to form a roof. "It just makes me uncomfortable," she murmured quietly.

"Alright, Caroline… You help me out by filling me in on what's going on, and I'll do my best to help you. After all, I'm pretty strong now! Not as strong as a Swampert, but still… I can help!"

Caroline nodded and grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you, Ryder."

 **-Talis-**

"Ha-ha-ha! I mean, seriously! The police are still trying to figure out what happened! To be honest, I didn't think Victor would pull it off." Talis bragged to the Umbreon with blue rings that glowed with a gentle light next to him. They were both enjoying a drink at Malamar's Tavern along with a bunch of other members of the Mafia in celebration of Team Firestorm being separated. They weren't much of a threat now, so they had an off day to celebrate.

"Hmph. He has underestimated them for too long. I know that once he gets serious, he will crush them," the male Umbreon replied. "It's never been an issue before."

The Toxicroak sighed with a slightly annoyed groan. "Oh my gosh, Francis… How long have you been with these guys? Like what, eight, nine years?"

"A little over nine. I was one of the first members outside of the big four, alongside Zorro, Cas and Plague. Although the last two are dead, as far as we know."

"Really? Who killed them?"

"Some brat Pikachu that Victor was looking to recruit killed Cas, and I think Team Virus took down Plague after she went rogue a few years ago."

"Hmph. So you're saying that out of all the teams you guys have taken down, this team's the hardest one yet?"

"Yes. They are putting up more of a fight than any of us could have anticipated."

A new voice entered the conversation from their right. "Hey Talis, I heard that your team gets to go after one of the Firestorm runts!" An Arbok called out.

The Toxicroak smirked and leaned against the bartop. "Yeah, you heard right!"

"How'd you pull that off? I thought that Victor was supposed to be, like, putting the best of the best on the job!" the Arbok jested.

"Ah, shut up. My team is one of the best Victor's got. Especially since Gunther and Deros evolved. They can take probably down Caroline without me!"

"Is that so?" A new voice, definitely female, poured over the crowd of about twenty pokémon, hushing them all instantly. A stale, hot breeze blew through the window, making Talis' skin crack and dry out. (AN: Dry skin) "Yeah. We're like Victor's A-team," he replied with confidence. He smacked his lips in an attempt to stop the itching from the dried skin, but it didn't help.

"Huh. So you know where he is?" the door creaked open to reveal a silver-skinned delphox with a purple dress that had pink patches on the sides standing in the doorway. She was smiling and strode forward without looking around, and once she got close, he noticed that she was a full two feet taller than him, Dwarfing almost every other pokémon in the tavern. "Malamar, I'll have the usual. Extra Colbur and Passho, please. And light on the razz. I don't really like the aftertaste." She waved her wand gently, and the owner of the bar nodded with a smile. "Of course!" He got to work making some concoction of different red-colored berries while the strange-colored Delphox sat down next to him. After a moment of staring at him, she scraped a bit of dried skin off of him with the tip of her wand and curled her nose in disgust. "Have you ever looked into buying lotion? I know a Roserade that could get your dry skin fixed in no time."

Talis was caught off guard momentarily by her bold approach. "Sorry, but who are you? And how does Malamar know you?"

"Malamar knows a lot of people, darling. You'd be surprised. And telling you who I am right out of the gate would ruin the fun!" the Delphox replied with a smile.

Talis began concocting poison in his chin sac silently, and the Delphox giggled lightly. "Please don't tell me that you're thinking about attacking me! We've only just met!"

"Considering the fact that nobody in here except Malamar seems to know you, I'm considering it," Talis warned her.

"Oh... That's not a good idea. You see, I'm what you might call 'dangerous'."

"And you're outnumbered twenty to one by some of the toughest pokémon on Immanis." Talis countered.

The Delphox looked around slowly as the crowd of pokémon stared her down. Then she rolled her eyes playfully and turned back to him. "Hence the word 'dangerous'. You don't give that title to someone just because!" the Delphox sighed and dropped her shoulders momentarily. "I'm sorry, we got off on the wrong foot, Talis. My name is Valerie. The Valerie. The Shiny Mage, Mistress of Illusion, Maker of Magic, the Fallen Guardian, the Alpha Delphox, and a whole bunch of other titles that you probably don't care about. But enough about that. I thought that a tavern is where a woman goes to feel wanted."

"What's so special about you?" He questioned.

"Oh. You don't… know who I am." she seemed kind of disappointed, yet excited at the same time. "Let's have some fun with this, then… Has anyone in here met me before? Francis? Random Arbok in the corner?"

They all shook their heads slightly, but some of them started getting into fighting positions, even in their uncertainty. Valerie giggled some more and twirled her wand once, making a strange pattern out of mystical fire, like an X crossed with a curling flame in the center. "Okay, good… But since you insist on fighting... If I complete this symbol, everyone in here except Malamar will be nothing more than piles of ash in a moment."

His eyes widened as he realized what the symbol was, but before anyone could move, the symbol vanished, and she tapped her chin with her wand, as if she was considering something new. "Actually… I changed my mind. I'll play fair. It's much more fun this way."

Talis lunged at her and used sucker punch while her back was turned, but without even looking, she pointed her wand at him, and his entire movement slowed almost to a halt while she moved at a normal speed. She turned on her heels and walked up to him while he was frozen in place, his fist outstretched, and she tapped his side with the red-hot tip of her wand. He felt the searing pain, but his movement was so slow that his body didn't react until several seconds later. She sighed and unfroze him with a flick of her wand, causing him to crash into several pokémon that were also frozen. She smiled and lowered her arms as they all glared at her. "Boys, boys… Please, at least buy me another drink!"

Francis used feint attack and hit the back of her head, and she twirled her wand and threw him into the Arbok with some sort of telekinesis, which should have been impossible. "Didn't your mother ever tell you that it's rude to hit a lady?" She used mystical fire, and the scarlet flames washed over the entire general area where Francis was. Before Talis could call out, Francis leapt out of the flames with a snarl and used payback. Valerie waited until he was mere inches from her, then raised her arm and disappeared. Francis gasped and looked around frantically as he landed on the ground, but she appeared in front of him and kicked him so hard that he was sent sprawling.

He got up and used dark pulse, but she used light screen and then double team, creating multiple illusory copies of herself that surrounded him on all sides. Francis used snarl while the rest of the pokémon were overcoming their surprise and finally starting to attack.

Valerie laughed as the end of her wand glowed pink, along with the wands of all of her illusory copies. "Hahaha! This is much more enjoyable than my original plan!" The Dazzling Gleam attack was unleashed, causing all of the pokémon in the bar to turn away from the blinding light. When Talis looked back, the original Delphox was holding Francis aloft in one arm while twirling her wand like a drum stick between her fingers in her other hand. "Tsk, tsk! Never take your eyes off of your opponent!" Her fist crackled with electricity, and Francis shouted in pain as the blue energy coursed through his body.

The rest of the pokémon in the bar rushed towards her, but she tapped her wand on the table and three pillars of fire erupted from the floor and expanded to form a wall of transparent flames, cutting the rest of the pokémon off from her like superheated windows. She threw Francis to the ground and turned to Talis with a bored look. "Talis, quick question: Team Virus?"

"Huh?" He exclaimed with a bit of confusion. Everybody else was trying to get through the fire, but he signaled for them to wait. "What about them?"

"Aren't they the best of the best? After all, they're Victor's lead operatives!"

"Well… We're the best behind them."

"So you're second-best? Darn… I thought I actually found someone useful."

Talis growled and used sludge bomb to put out the fire. Just after he threw up the purple ooze, it was enveloped in a pink glow and slung right back into his face before he could move. Then the Delphox levitated through the flames and said, "All of you except Talis, go ahead and take a nap. And when you wake up in a few hours, you won't remember anything about our little get-together. I want to chat with Victor personally."

All of the pokémon around her collapsed to the ground, and she turned away from him while he laid there, coughing up the poison sludge that had been thrown in his face. She grabbed the small glass off of the bartop and took a sip while the fires died down, and he couldn't help but notice that the fire hadn't burned the wooden tavern to the ground. Not even a single scorch mark was left behind from the white-hot flames that had burned him just a moment ago.

She smiled and winked at Malamar while holding out her glass. "It's lovely, dear. I think I've found a new favorite. And… please be a doll and don't tell the big four about this." Then she looked at her hand and gasped lightly. "Oops! I'm late! Sorry to cut it short, but i'm a very busy woman. Things to do, places to be! Ta-ta~!"

Then without warning, he lost consciousness as well.

* * *

 **Okay... So that just happened. Caroline found some help, and supposedly she's from a different reality... And the Delphox that just appeared is pretty strong. And she's a shiny, if you guys didn't get that from her silver skin. :P**

 **As always, I hope you guys enjoyed! I'll be on my regular posting schedule starting tomorrow. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or theories about what might happen, feel free to leave them in the form of a review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	3. Driven By Anger

**-Chapter III: Driven by Anger-**

 **-Atlas-**

He groaned in pain as the blue bubble dropped him at the base of a mountain, surrounded by three others on all sides, like the bottom of a valley between them. He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath to calm himself. He looked at the mountain directly in front of him and sighed. "Yep… Mt. Bristle." He stood up shakily and started walking away, towards the thinner side of the mountain range to the west. _No way I'm staying here. I've gotta find them._

He didn't make it more than thirty feet before he walked straight into a blue force field that appeared out of nowhere. "What the-?!" He took a step back and placed his hands in front of him as the force field vanished. When he took a step forward, blue circles of energy glowed and condensed where his hands were, like an invisible barrier that stopped him in his tracks. He growled and used dynamic punch on the barrier, hoping to break it, but the energy coming from the force-field made his hand bounce off like it was made of rubber.

He clenched his fists and tried to punch again, but his body nearly shut down from the excruciating pain. He grabbed his side with one hand and hunched over. "Urk! Gah, stupid power belt thing..." He looked back up at the mountain behind him and rolled his eyes. _Alright, fine. I guess I'm staying here 'till I heal from using my full power. Then I'll break that stupid force field._

He started climbing the mountain, using his three regular arms to find handholds to climb up the vertical cliffsides. His new hand was still weird, so he refrained from using it for now. After he scaled the first wall, about a hundred feet straight up, he pulled himself over the edge and laid there, gasping for air. "Gah… Man, I'm out of shape..." He laid there for about a minute before sitting up and leaning against the nearest boulder, still catching his breath. He was too tired to even think straight. He knew how he got here. Connor got framed for freeing a super dangerous outlaw, and they were all sent back to their dungeons of origin. For him, it was Mt. Bristle. _I guess the force field stops me from just leaving and finding everyone else. I wonder if everyone else is trapped... Probably._

He slammed his lower-right fist into the ground in frustration and looked up the mountain. _Alright, Atlas… One big leap._ He crouched down and placed his hands on the ground. "Actually…"

He used a half-effort stone-edge directly beneath himself, making sure to keep the tops of the stones flat. One of the pillars rose straight up from the ground, carrying him straight up the cliffside. _Alright… Let's get close to the top. Then I can rest._

He pressed three of his hands down harder, making the tower of stone rise higher and higher. Once he reached the next section of flat area, he leapt off of the tower and hurled a focus blast at the base of the tower several hundred feet below, making it collapse into a pile of rubble. He had to cover his tracks, in case any pokémon were following him.

He repeated the process until it became difficult to breathe due to the altitude. He had never gone past the mystery dungeon part of the mountain, which only covered the first couple hundred feet, so this was all new to him. Once he caught his breath, he took a minute to adjust to the atmosphere difference. _The air gets thinner the higher up I go… So I need to pace myself._

He looked at his shadow-hand that Dusknoir had made after his breathing stabilized. _Well, might as well make the best of it… Let's see how this works._ He had to stay positive. They would make it through this. They had to. He would make sure of it.

He glanced between his hand and the shadows cast across the valley in front of him, then closed his fist experimentally. Dusknoir had said that he could bend shadows, so why not start big and work his way to the small stuff?

The shadow cast over the valley between the two mountains wavered, shimmering in and out of focus, but after no more than a few seconds, Atlas felt his hand cramping from the strain, and when he looked at it, there was a shadowy mist rolling down his arm, coming from his spectral hand.

"Alright, a bit too big…" he said to himself.

Before he could try something else, he heard rumbling overhead. He stood up as fast as he could, getting into a fighting position, ready to tackle anything that came his way. Then he saw what it was. A herd of at least ten Graveler and about four Golem racing down the mountain, rolling down the steep slopes almost as fast as Mirage flew. They soared over his head after hitting an inclined section of stone and waved at him with a friendly smile as they continued bouncing down the mountain.

 _Geez, I haven't been here in so long, I forgot they liked to race…_ He laughed silently at himself and facepalmed with his upper left hand.

He stood up and looked around for any smaller shadows he could use to train with. The morning sun made it simple, as just about every boulder had a semi-large shadow. He shrugged and thought about how Roy moved the darkness.

 _How does he do it…? It seems so natural, like he just… moves them with his mind._ He pointed to one of the boulders with his spectral hand and focused on trying to move that shadow.

"Come on… Come on…" He put all of his focus into it, and eventually he had to catch his breath. There was no reaction from the darkness the entire time. He sighed and fell to the ground, utterly exhausted. "Now I wish Roy was here…"

He grunted and pulled an oran berry out of his paint bag. "Good thing I've got a few of these…" He stood up after eating the little berry, and tried again with renewed effort. _I am gonna figure this out..._

Then he placed his lower left hand on his chin in thought. "Wait a minute… Can I even hit things with this hand?"

He wound up for a dynamic punch with his shadow-fist and aimed at a pillar of stone about eight feet tall. He swung, and, as he expected, his entire forearm phased through the stone like it wasn't there. He stumbled and tried to catch himself, then tried again, this time not using any special moves. He jabbed straight forward, but his arm phased through it again.

 _Alright… One more time._ He punched straight forward again, this time paying attention to what his fists did. When he hit the stone, it felt like his hand phased through it like an illusion. But when he looked and paid close attention, his entire arm just dissolved into dark purple mist as soon as it touched the boulder, then resolidified when it came into contact with the air.

He breathed heavily and stared at his arm in confusion. How was he supposed to fight if that entire arm couldn't touch anything?

"Uh… Alright, let's figure out how to hit things."

 **-Manaphy-**

"Gah! Vulcan! Connor!" He shot up with a start and looked around frantically. All around him was grass-covered ruins, with a steep dropoff to his left, about twenty feet away. He stood up and took a deep breath. "No… This is…!"

He gasped and teared up. "Sharpedo Bluff… This is all that's left?" He ran his hands along the stones and closed his eyes tightly. He used psychic to move the boulders. He lifted them up with a soft grunt and threw them over the edge of the cliff. He moved more boulders aside until he came to the pile of crates that used to be next to the entrance. "It's gotta be here…" He found the crates charred and crushed by the rubble. Most of them had regular items in them, namely orbs and berries, but he kept looking. He pushed one box aside with psychic and opened the next one. He dug through the hundreds of orbs until he found the item at the bottom. "Okay... Here it is."

He grabbed the golden tablet and climbed out of the wooden crate. He sat down on the boulder and stared at it quizzically. "Now how does it work? Vulcan said it's a Secret Slab that can summon legendary pokémon…" _But not the first Sons of Arceus. It only works on other legendaries like Lugia, Celebi, Cresselia and Darkrai, if I remember right..._

He tried rubbing the slab, but it had no reaction. He sighed and picked it up, holding it atop his head. "Chatot will know! And he'll know why I got brought back!" He began walking, but when he reached the edge of the bluff, about thirty feet from Kangaskhan Storage, a blue shield of energy stopped him in his tracks, making him fall backwards. "What?" He got back up and pressed against it. "What is this?"He hit it softly, but it simply condensed around wherever he hit it. He narrowed his eyes and stood back slightly. "Alright... Energy Ball." He charged up a green orb of energy in his hands and launched it forward, but it bounced off of the barrier and rocketed back at him. He dove out of the way of the orb of energy, then used hydro pump, but the water was absorbed into the shield and evaporated in a cloud of steam. "Great… I don't even know what's going on!"

 **-Alice-**

"Hello?" She wandered around the clearing in the forest that she found herself in. At first she was silent, but after ten minutes of not sensing any other pokémon, she started getting anxious.

"I swear… If I sense anybody that I don't know, I'm going to kick your-" A single branch cracking stopped her mid-sentence. She grabbed her mega stone, just in case it was an enemy, but it was only a Bulbasaur. She relaxed as it ate some of the foliage, then glanced up at her. "Hi."

"Hello…" Alice stared at the child pokémon and tried to sense its emotions, but she couldn't get an accurate read. She was scared for her life. She'd already taken a Dragon Pulse to the face, and she didn't feel like going through anything like it again.

"You're really pretty…" It took another bite of grass, and Alice sat down and sighed with relief. "Thank you…"

"Are you an explorer?"

She tilted her head at the little plant pokémon and nodded slowly. "Yeah… I'm an explorer."

"Oh! Does that mean you can help me?" It perked up and seemed very genuine.

"Sure...? What do you need help with?"

"I want to go exploring, but I'm not strong enough to fend off the wild pokémon…"

"Sure! I'd be happy to help!" she replied. _At least it'll keep the Mafia off of my tail for a little while longer. Without my badge, I can't exactly leave a Mystery Dungeon without reaching the end._

 **-Aaron-**

"Hmph." he crossed his arms and sat on the stone ground in the center of Mt. Travail, trying his best not to let his emotions get the better of him.  
 _Stupid… I knew I was better off alone. Now look what happened… I'm back here, and probably stuck here as punishment. I haven't even been with those guys for three days!_

His electricity went haywire, zapping he boulders around him and igniting the collapsed wooden structures. He gasped as the fire consumed the wood and stood up. "NO!"

The graves he had dug for his parents and sister were dangerously close to the fire, and he ran forward and used force palm. He hit the ground with so much force that the shockwave blew the flames backwards, nearly snuffing them out. He took a deep breath and used rain dance immediately afterwards. He shot a thunderbolt into the sky that exploded in midair and turned the sky black. Moments later, the rain poured from the sky, drenching everything around him. The flames hissed and steamed from the water droplets, but eventually it was snuffed out as well, until only small embers remained. He sighed with relief and took shelter underneath an overhanging ledge of stone. He hated being here, but it couldn't be helped. This was the only place that he didn't ever want to come back to. He thought that he'd moved on… But being here, and seeing everything the same way he saw it nine years ago… He knew that he was still angry. And even though he got his revenge on one of Victor's pets, he still wanted more. He had lost everything because of that Honchkrow. His family, his friends, and everyone he had known growing up. All of them... gone. And there was nothing he could do about it.

"I swore to Arceus that I'd be the one to kill you, Victor… And still, for nine years, you've evaded me. But I intend to keep my promise. Just you wait." He clenched his fists and looked to the sky as the rain slowed down to a light drizzle. He sighed and laid his head down against the cliffside in frustration. "GAH!" He slammed his fist into the wall, sending a fissure-like crack up the cliffside. He felt his aura amplifying, which allowed him to hit as hard as he did without injuring himself. "My aura is controlled by my emotions… Keep it together…" He closed his eyes and crossed his arms slowly, then turned to face the wall, honing his mind and body. "I am an Aura Guardian… Let my aura guide me… Anger accomplishes nothing… My aura is with me."

He struggled to keep focus as he said this. He never knew where those words came from; He'd never been taught to recite anything, but he instinctively said it when he meditated. He felt a slight disturbance in the air behind him and smirked. "You knew I'd be here, huh?"

"Well, it is the place that you were born. If you weren't here, then I'd have no clue where to find you."

"You got here fast." Aaron remarked.

"The wind was with me." Leroy replied. "And I can move faster in the air, in case you've forgotten."

"I haven't." Aaron didn't turn away from the wall to face his mentor. "So what happened to the rest of them?"

"I'd presume that they were all sent to their Dungeons of Origin or birthplace, just as you have been sent here."

"Hmph. You didn't ever get a badge, so you're fine…" Aaron spat. "I knew I was better off alone!"

He gasped and closed his eyes tighter. "Focus… Don't lose control…"

Leroy chuckled warmly. "You still have yet to know the true meaning of being an Aura Guardian. You cannot control your power. It is always there, always ready. The reason yours is so sporadic is because you taught yourself to keep it locked up inside of yourself. When you are angry, your power finds its way to the surface, and you lose control."

"I know that, Leroy. I've been trying to control it for years. Look how it's turned out so far."

"Then why do you still hold onto your anger?"

"Because I swore to Arceus that I'd never let go! I need vengeance on the one who destroyed everything I loved."

"Aaron…" Leroy began.

"Shut up! You don't know what it's like to lose everything!" he spat.

"I took you in when no-one else would, you ungrateful child! You have no idea what I…" Aaron felt his mentor's aura change, and he turned around slowly to see the Farfetch'd silently crying. "...I've lost just as much as you have. You don't know the first thing about me, aside from what I've told you. So do not attempt to justify your anger with your losses."

Aaron's scowl turned into a sad frown as he gritted his teeth. "Leroy… I didn't mean it like that… I…"

"I know… You're hurt. I understand. But that's why I brought you this." the Farfetch'd reached underneath a fold of his scarf and pulled out an explorer's badge after wiping off his face. "Would you be interested in saving Team Firestorm?"

Aaron stepped closer, making sure that he wasn't being deceived. "You're an Explorer?"

"Yes. I am the sole member of Team Leroy." The Farfetch'd replied with a short laugh. "That is why I never joined them. If anything were to happen, I was not tied to them."

"I never knew…"

"Precisely why I kept it a secret. But now I need to use it. So would you like to leave this place?"

Aaron took one last look at the blackened remains of his village, then grabbed Leroy's wing. "Yes. Let's save Team Firestorm."

"Good, good… Could you imagine how awkward it would have been if you had said no?" Leroy jested as a golden badge shimmered into existence on Aaron's satchel.

* * *

 **Alrighty guys! That was chapter 3! They're all separated for real, it looks like. Atlas is trying to figure out how to use his shadow fist, Alice is helping out a Random Bulbasaur. But Aaron got out of the barrier almost immediately, which is weird. Meh. As always, I hope you guys enjoyed! This story is kind of slow, since each character is dealing with their own problems and such, but if you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen, feel free to leave them in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	4. Rise of the Fallen

**-Chapter IV: Rise of the Fallen-**

 **-Vulcan-**

"NO! NO! NO! NO!" He screamed and pounded against the blue barrier that formed a dome encompassing the place that he had appeared in. He stared at the peak of the Volcano towering over him, and he slammed his fist into the ground and used Blast Burn. The ground cracked and turned to molten, then was blasted apart by an earthquake that rattled the volcano itself. It rumbled and shook the earth in return, almost as if it were complaining, and Vulcan roared at it. "WHAT?!" He caught his breath from using the attack and clutched his mega stone. "Connor… I have to stay strong… For the team." He was enveloped in the purple sphere that signaled mega evolution, and when it shattered, he used dragon rush on the blue barrier, ramming into it with all of his might. _This must be what keeps the team in exile… If I can break it… We stand a chance!_

He rammed into it once more and used focus punch in unison, but his fist rebounded and sent him careening back, almost dislocating his shoulder. He growled and landed on the ground, then reached into his bag. He pulled an Oran berry out of the interior and ate the whole thing in one bite. The pain in his shoulder instantly faded, and he shifted it back into place with a quiet grunt. He de-evolved and stared into the distance of the valley spread out beneath the volcano.

"Arceus, Connor… I don't know what to do…" Silver lines of tears fell to the ground as he clenched his fists and wept. "I don't know what to do! You're gone… We're all trapped…" he sobbed and punched the ground lightly. "And I don't know how to get out of this. Arceus, if you can hear me… if you care… Please help us!"

 **-Roy-**

When the blue sphere surrounding him popped, he was somewhere that he didn't recognize. "What the…?" He floated forward and took in his surroundings. It was a low, dugout hut that was a considerable size. About as big as their tent in Treasure Town. The ceilings were about eight feet high, with curved walls arching downwards, almost like a giant cylinder. He tilted his head slightly at the burning fire in the hearth to his right. It was a strange shade of red, almost like a Razz Berry, but slightly darker. And upon further inspection, there was no source of fuel for the flames, such as wood or charcoal. Just a fire… burning on the ground. By itself.

 _Oh, this is weird…_ He narrowed his eyes and phased into the wall, but just before he was completely engulfed in darkness, a blue burst of energy threw him back into reality. He laid on the ground, wide-eyed, utterly baffled. "Okay, where am I? I know this isn't where I should be… And what was that energy burst?"

He used psychic to open the front entrance, which was little more than a thin wall of vines, and floated through, but a glowing blue barrier appeared and bounced him back into the small hut. He scowled and said, "Alright… Maybe a little bit of force is what it needs."

"Oh, I wouldn't do that."

Roy turned around with a light gasp of surprise, and a strange-colored Delphox was sitting in a rocking chair in front of the hearth, sipping some sort of drink from a glass cup. It had silver skin, and its dress section was a similar pattern to his body; primarily purple with splotches of pink here and there. Kind of like his own skin.  
"Who are you?"

"Who do you think? I'm the one that brought you here, Roy. Use that brain of yours. You were just talking about me yesterday, weren't you?"

Roy gasped as he recalled the conversation with Briar and Connor the day before. "You're... Valerie?"

She smiled and waved her wand, closing the vines covering the entrance and turning the deep red flames burning to a light blue, like the color of the sky on a cloudless day. "There. Red stimulates anger, you know. Blue is calming. It's better if we just stay calm in situations like these."

"Wait, so you _are_ Valerie?"

"That depends on who you ask, but to you, it's a yes. I'm Valerie, the one that you wanted to start looking for before being so rudely interrupted by Magnezone and his group of goodie-goodie officers of the law."

"How did you know that I was looking for you?"

"I know practically everything, darling. Even things that Dialga himself doesn't."

"Even things Dialga..." he murmured under his breath, then raised his voice. "Are you a Temporal Guardian or something?"

She smiled warmly and took a deep breath while fluttering her eyes. But it wasn't the good kind of eye-fluttering. More like the annoyed kind. "Aren't you glad I picked blue? Otherwise I'd be really, really upset right now."

"Why?"

"Out of all of Arceus' first sons, only Dialga gets his own mini-followers that he gets to pick and imbue with his power? No! Palkia and Giratina have their own as well! And they're not all as nice or as 'noble' as the Temporal Guardians!"

"Then what are you?"

"Nothing more than an abnormally powerful pokemon at the moment, I'm afraid. I practice some… frowned upon things in the divine world of the legendary pokémon."

"Alright, so what is it you do? I've heard that you can teach me how to cast incantations."

"That's all you heard?" the Delphox asked with disbelief. "Hmph. Briar said she spoke highly of me..." She seemed disappointed for a moment before regaining her neutral expression.

"Briar talked to you? A Sceptile?"

"Of course! Right before you got separated from the rest of your team! In fact, I just got through with my weekly run to Malamar's Tavern, and I suspected that you'd be here when I got back!"

"But why am I here of all places? I thought I was supposed to be sent back to my place of origin."

"I drew you off-course and popped the banishment bubble! The only downside is that now you're stuck here unless an Exploration Team finds you and recruits you. But that's not that big of a problem."

"Is that what the blue energy field is for? To keep us confined?"

"Precisely! And I'd imagine that all of your friends are finding that out as we speak. But your barrier is the smallest. Your friend Jade… her barrier is one of the largest. The entire Blizzard Island is her domain, and I think that she's, ironically, one of the first that's going to be found."

"Jade? Why is that?"

"Because Victor personally saw to it that her uncle was killed in front of her very eyes. So he knows where she will be, and has the best tracker I've ever seen in his ranks. So I give it two days."

Roy internally gasped. _Her uncle…? Oh my goodness… And didn't she say something about her mother as well?_

"Oh, don't worry. You'll have it much worse than her when it's all said and done. I know all about who you were, Castiel."

Roy flinched at that name. He had heard it far too many times from people who shouldn't know that word. "What did you call me?"

"That's your true name, isn't it? The name given to you before you were tragically murdered?"

"I mean… Yes, but… I'm Roy. That is my name now."

"Alright, for simplicity's sake, we'll call you Roy. So what did you want to learn?"

"Um… Incantations?"

"That didn't sound very convincing."

"I want to learn incantations," Roy replied with renewed confidence.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I've heard that you know how to cast incantations at an unreal level."

"Unreal? My, what a strange choice of words. I'm truly flattered that you think so highly of me. But yes, it is 'unreal'. I can cast hundreds of incantations without reciting a single word."

"Oh… Wow."

"I know, right? Although... now that I think about it, when you reach that level, it's not really incantations anymore, is it?" The Delphox grinned and twirled her wand between her fingers. "And an old friend of mine told me that I needed to help train you. So… here you are. I will teach you almost everything I know, including some of my more 'frowned upon' practices. So… First, let's get this barrier extended, to give us some room to train. It'll take a while to make it big enough to encompass a small section of the forest, so just sit back and watch me do all the work. Maybe you'll learn something before we begin."

 **-Jade-**

She waited patiently for the Froslass to drop its guard. She had been frozen solid by its frost breath, but she could phase out of the ice at any time if she wanted to. Instead, she watched the ice-and-ghost-type that floated in front of her, staring at her intently. She had been staring for over five minutes, not even saying a word. Then it placed its hand on the ice, melting a hole around Jade's face, allowing her to move her head and speak.

"What is your name…?" The Froslass asked.

"My name…?" _That is the first thing she asks?_

"Yes… What is it?"

"Jade." she replied simply.

"Ah. Jade… Why are you here? I haven't seen another Froslass since… I don't know how long it's been…"

"I… I was just visiting."

"Just… visiting… here?" It stared at her more intently, mere inches from her face.

"Yes."

The Froslass looked past her and glanced at the charred frame of a wooden hut. "You were in my house. You dug it from the snow and ice…"

Jade gasped lightly. "Your house?"

"It was… I thought it was lost forever…" The Froslass choked back a sob. "I miss them so dearly…"

"This is your…" Jade stared at the Froslass more intently as the memories became clearer. "Is your name Hazel?"

The Froslass' eyes lit up as she stared Jade down. "Who told you that…?"

Jade's jaw dropped as she phased through the ice. The Froslass narrowed its eyes at her, and Jade noticed a darker section of icy skin on her stomach. "Mother…?" Jade hardly recognized her. This Froslass had a look of fear and anger in its eyes… Nothing like the kind, loving Froslass that she knew before.

"I am no-one's mother. My child died many years ago."

"Hazel… My real name is Iris." Jade murmured gently.

The Froslass shook its head in defiance. "No. Iris died when this place was burned to the ground. You cannot be her."

"Mother… It's me."

Hazel shook her head slowly. "It can't be true…" Then she covered her mouth with her hands as Jade floated even closer and revealed a scar running down her back from Mordred when she was a Snorunt. He'd nearly killed her as well.

"Iris… Arceus, it _is_ you!" the Froslass exclaimed.

She pulled Jade into a hug so tight that she had to struggle for breath. Hazel held her shoulders and stared at her face, almost as if she were memorizing every detail. "You're so beautiful… and all grown up..." She leaned closer and kissed her forehead gently while tears of joy froze on her face. "I've missed you so much…"

 **-Victor-**

"Koumori, I would like an update on the status of the operation. I've provided the Assassins with the whereabouts of every Team Firestorm Member. Who have they targeted first?" Victor questioned.

"I believe that they have targeted Mirage, sir." The Crobat quickly replied. "I couldn't venture very far into the Desert, due to the hostile conditions, but that is where I saw them headed before I checked in on all the others."

"Very well. Team Virus' progress?"

"They are closing in on Alice's location quickly. It is difficult to find her inside of a Mystery Dungeon, but since she cannot escape the dungeon without another exploration team assisting her, we will find her within a matter of hours."

"Good, good…" Victor smirked and looked at his map of Immanis once more. "And Roy? Do we know where he came from?"

"No, sir… But Soulburner can sense ghost-types from miles away." She affirmed. "He will find Roy."

"What about Aaron? That Pikachu killed one of my elite members, and I wish to finish him myself. He's been a thorn in my side for too long."

"He… Is no longer at his place of origin… sir." She audibly hesitated, and Victor's eyes widened. "...How? If he had a badge, he shouldn't be able to leave that dungeon unless he was recruited into an Exploration Team!"

"I… I do not know, sir… But I received reports from the local pokémon that he _was_ there. A flash of lightning, followed by a rainstorm directly over his old village… and a few other things leads me to presume that he was there… but he was able to proceed past the barrier."

"How? Team Firestorm is scattered all across Immanis, and no other teams would readily recruit a random pokémon like that in such a short amount of time!"

She remained silent in response, and Victor sighed and looked at the floor. "This is troublesome… If they have already found a way to escape and reunite… We must redouble our efforts. Send the word out. Every pokémon we can spare, send to find them. But also tell them that they are to subdue Team Firestorm only. If there are any slip-ups that result in any of the targets dead… Then they will have to deal with me. I will be leaving momentarily, so tell Mordred to enforce what I have asked."

"Yes, sir." Koumori replied and fluttered through the doorway.

 **-Vincent-**

"Hm… Think, Vincent… What if I… Transformed? Would it still recognize me if I completely changed my type?" He morphed into a Gigalith and lumbered forward, every step shaking the ground of Foggy Forest. He'd finally made his way to a clearer section of the forest, only to be stopped by a blue energy barrier. He'd already turned into a Braviary and checked the entire perimeter; It was a complete dome encompassing the entire forest.

He watched as the barrier began glowing dimly in the soupy mist, then came to a halt as the barrier repelled him as if it were a hariyama using an arm thrust. He nearly fell backwards, but caught himself just before he completely ate the dirt. He sighed and turned back into a Smeargle, gritting his teeth in an attempt to think. He'd never been trapped like this. There was always somewhere to escape to. But now… He was trapped by the police. And he was a part of the team that the police renowned for outlaw capturing not even a month ago.

"Think… What else do you know… Maybe feint?" His fist was enveloped in a glowing white paint that expanded and grew brighter until it pierced through the fog like a spotlight. He swung with all of his might, and his fist swung straight down without stopping. He gasped and stumbled forward as the barrier seemed to vanish. He tilted his head and smiled with glee. "Well… I didn't expect that to work!"

He took another step forward, and he hit the energy barrier again, apparently completely missing his mark a moment ago. He fell backwards and laid his head on the ground with a soft groan. "Ugh… Come on!"

He stood up again and stared at the invisible barrier in front of him. If he was stuck here, then that meant that everyone else must have been sent back to their dungeons of origin, and they were trapped too. _Wait… Can I just teleport away?_ He closed his eyes and used teleport, and took a deep breath as everything around him became white and gold. He flew forward faster than light, but the energy barrier repelled him and sent him flying backwards so hard that he formed a trench of dirt thirty feet long, barely avoiding slamming into several trees. "Nope… Nope nope nope… Not doing that again." He muttered weakly.

He winced and grasped at his side, then rolled his eyes in frustration. "Fractured ribs… Great." He planted his hands on the ground, and green paint oozed from his skin, transforming into thick green vines that grew and dug into the ground. He absorbed the nutrients from the earth and took rapid, short breaths as his rib healed. He closed his eyes, then used camouflage, excreting a coat of paint from his skin that made him vanish while he healed.

* * *

 **Well, things are heating up! We've got several more team members' whereabouts revealed. And apparently there's an energy barrier that keeps them confined to their dungeons of origin. That's problematic. But Roy's been brought in by Valerie, and Jade found her mother! That's good news, I guess!**

 **Alright guys! I hope you've all had a great summer break so far! As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Things will start to come together more and more as the story progresses, so not to worry! If you enjoyed this chapter, or have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen, feel free to leave them in the form of a review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	5. I Hear Voices

**-Chapter V: I Hear Voices-**

 **-Alice-**

"Come on! You're sooo slow!"

"You're really fast for a Bulbasaur!" Alice responded. She sighed and picked up her pace as the grass-and-poison type ran ahead. She couldn't stop thinking about the team… Connor was in jail, probably, and if everyone else had been separated… Then that meant that she might be the only chance at rescuing them. All she has to do is make it to the end of this dungeon.

The Bulbasaur dashed around a bend in the Mystery Dungeon, and Alice bound forward to catch up. "Hold on! What if there's some wild pokémon?"

"I'm fine! There's nothing here!" She heard it reply. She took an elongated breath through her nose and strode forward until she was next to the little pokémon. "You're not an easy pokémon to escort, you know that?"

"Sorry… I don't like being slow. I've got too much stuff to do to be sightseeing in Mystery Dungeons."

"Huh. But you're just a kid, right?"

"Yeah. My parents are probably worried sick by now. But you can just come with me and I'll tell them that an Explorer found me! Problem solved!"

"Actually…" a new voice hissed from behind them, "She was supposed to meet with us."

Alice gasped and turned on a dime as Nagini dropped from the trees behind them. The Bulbasaur tilted its head and stared at the Seviper. "He's creepy…"

"I know." Alice deadpanned without taking her eyes off of Nagini. He smirked, and in front of Alice's eyes, the Haxorus and Klinklang phased out of the shadows of the trees, followed by a Banette.

The Banette cackled and grinned maniacally. "Well, well, well… It looks like we won't go home empty-handed after all…"

"Run." Alice commanded the Bulbasaur.

"We won't hurt him," Nagini interjected. "It's you we're after. Unless, of course, he decides to intervene."

The Bulbasaur hesitated, and Nagini shifted his gaze to the Klinklang, who sparked with electricity and glared at the kid. *Do as Alice instructs, child. Run away and do not interfere.*

"What if I don't? You shouldn't be attacking an Explorer, you know! The police will get you!" the Bulbasaur countered.

"Oh, I don't think the police will be a problem," Nagini remarked with a grin. "And if you insist on fighting… Then so be it. I won't complain."

 **-Caroline-**

She smiled with renewed joy as Ryder fended off a Sandslash with hand-to-hand combat. She was fighting off a Raticate herself, and managed to throw it into a tree with vine whips and send it packing. She took a deep breath and continued through the dungeon, and Ryder looked up at her. "...Now I feel really short."

She giggled lightly and smiled. "Don't worry; I'm the tallest on my team besides Magnus."

"Magnus?"

"He's a Tropius. He's got quite the temper… And an even worse mouth. Like, you'll probably throw up at some of the language he uses."

"He's that bad?" Ryder remarked with a hint of amusement.

"Yeah. But he cared about each of us. His ways of showing it weren't exactly the best, but he ended up sacrificing himself for Atlas… Another one of my team members." she sighed and teared up. "But now…" she sniffled and wiped her eyes with vines sprouting from her back. "He's gone…"

Ryder pat the side of her neck and sighed. "It's alright, Caroline… We're going to get this group. I'll be there with you until the end, alright?"

"I know… But I just… I don't want any more of them to get hurt…"

"Well, we're going to have to see to it ourselves then! Let's start by getting out of this place and getting to Treasure Town. Then we can work out a plan. Maybe even get the guild to help."

"Maybe…" Caroline speculated. "If they can help us…" Then she shook her head slowly and looked to the ground in disappointment. "They aren't strong enough. All of them are just apprentices."

"Well…" Ryder began, "We could-"

Caroline felt a disturbance in the plant life around her and narrowed her eyes. "Shh."

Ryder closed his mouth and glanced up at her. Then she heard it. Plants rustling to her right. She used bullet seed, peppering the foliage with the miniature projectiles, and it was countered with a sludge bomb. Ryder gasped and threw up a protect barrier in front of her, causing it to splatter against the shield harmlessly. She got over her surprise and pushed the shrubbery apart with two vine whips, revealing a Gengar and Drapion. They gasped, and the Gengar phased into shadows while the Drapion charged forward. Ryder hurled a mud bomb at the Drapion, blasting it backwards. "Team Veros?!"

"How did you get here?!" The Gengar wondered aloud. "We thought that it was only Caroline!"

"You thought wrong!" Caroline slammed her front feet into the ground, and the entire forest came to life around her. She planted her vine whips in the ground, and the trees responded to her will, their roots lifting out of the ground and ensnaring the Drapion until it was helplessly tangled. She looked to the shadows, hoping to see a glimpse of the Gengar, until she was hit from behind by a shadow punch. She turned around and tried to swat the gengar out of the air with a tree, but it phased through the branches and used sludge wave. Ryder tried to intercept with muddy water, but the geysers of water were no match for the already charged up wave of poison. She braced herself to take the attack, shielding herself with a wall of vines as well as light screen, but the ooze burned straight through the barriers without losing any momentum. She screamed in pain as the poison ate away at her skin, dissolving it piece by piece, until she couldn't take it any more. Her entire body collapsed to the ground as the poison dissolved the plant life around her, and the last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Ryder holding her head in his arms, staring into her eyes and shouting her name.

 **-Mirage-**

She narrowly avoided the Noivern as it dove past her in the blink of an eye. She used sandstorm and became nearly invisible, but was hit with several poison quills just before she used power-up punch. She winced and slowed down, but she bellowed a flamethrower at the Ariados. It leapt out of the way, and she used sand tomb to counter. The sands beneath her rose up like a wave and enveloped the bug-type in a massive sphere of sand that solidified into sandstone. She closed her fist, and the entire structure imploded, crushing the opponent with several tons of sand.

Then the Noivern tackled her from behind and threw her to the ground. She clawed at the sand and beat her wings in an attempt to fly, but the Noivern slammed down on top of her, crushing several of her ribs. She shouted in pain as the Ariados shook the sand off of itself and crawled closer, seemingly unaffected. She closed her eyes and willed the sandstorm to pick up speed, and the sand swirled faster and more sporadically, and once she felt the Noivern brush some sand off of its face with its clawed hand, she used dragon tail to swat the dragon-type off of her back. She took to the air, but couldn't stay aloft for more than a few moments without her ribs stabbing the inside of her chest, so it was more like fly-hopping.

She took deep breaths and pulled an oran berry out of her bag, then shoved it in her mouth as she began to gain momentum. The pain in her chest subsided as she began flying, but she was blasted from behind by a dragon pulse and hit the ground again. She used dig, rapidly vibrating her entire body until she vanished underneath the sand in a matter of seconds. She closed her eyes and felt the ground above her, and the voices returned.

 _Go, Mirage… To the Kingdom of the Sands._

"No!" she shouted at the voice.

 _These foes will not stop… That is your only option, besides death._

She growled as she continued to swim through the sand, and tucked her wings against her body until she was as streamlined as possible. "Fine! I'll go!"

 _Shall I tell them of your coming arrival?_

"No. I will talk to them myself. Hearing it from a random desert voice would tick them off even more." she retaliated.

 _...Very well. I shall await your return._

"Awesome. Now leave me alone." She replied bitterly. _What are you doing, Mirage? You already burned that bridge. No going back… But those guys will kill me if I don't get some protection._ She teared up as she swam under the ground even faster. _Arceus, what did we do to deserve this?_

She shot up straight out of the ground after what felt like days and shook herself off, then squinted as the harsh sunlight beat down on her back. She had probably been digging for at least three hours, given the sun's position. She sighed and pulled out her wonder map. She set it on the ground and stared at the little silhouette of a flygon in the Northern Desert. She was still a fair distance away from the Kingdom, which was obscured by cloud cover in the far reaches of the northwest.

"Come on! Seriously?!" she bit back a spiteful curse as she folded it back up and stuffed it in her paint-bag. "Come on, Mirage…" she took a bite of another oran berry as the pain in her ribs returned, then took a slow, heavy step forward. "Well… at least it's only a few dozen miles..."

* * *

 **Oh, dear... We've got trouble. Alice and Caroline, especially. But what is that desert voice that Mirage is hearing? Who is Ryder, exactly? Arceus, now I'm sounding like a narrator. :P**

 **Okay guys, that was chapter 5! Hope you guys enjoyed! I know it was a little bit short, but as always, if you have any comments, questions, concerns or theories about things happening, feel free to leave them in the form of a review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	6. The Enemy of My Enemy

**-Chapter VI: The Enemy of My Enemy-**

 **-Vulcan-**

"Vulcan."

Upon hearing that voice, he tensed up and ignited his fists. "What the hell are you doing here?" He snarled as the pokémon walked out from behind one of the many boulders scattered across the valley.

"I know this looks bad, kid… But I got a deal to make with you. It might just save you and your friends."

Vulcan's glare faltered as he processed what the pokémon had just said. "You… want to make a deal with _me_?"

"Yeah." Skuntank rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Like I said, I know this looks bad-"

Vulcan bellowed a flamethrower directly in Skuntank's face, turning him to ash in a matter of seconds.

Then Skuntank appeared to his right and shook his head while looking at the ground. "Chaw-haw-haw… I knew you'd do something like that."

"Then why even try and talk to me?" Vulcan spat.

"Because you're the best shot that your team has, as long as Connor's locked up."

"I almost beat him when we fought at that village."

"He held back. A lot. Granted, you're a lot tougher than an average Charizard-"

"Yeah, I know. What do you want?"

"That Bisharp… Mordred. He'd read up on us. He'd seen how much we'd picked on you guys in the past. He promised us a pretty penny to lead you into an ambush. And naturally, I accepted. Get paid to let other guys beat you up? I simply couldn't resist that kind of offer. Chaw-haw-haw!"

Flames trickled out of Vulcan's mouth as he shook with rage. "Get to the point, Skuntank!"

"Okay, here's the deal… I didn't know it would be this bad. I just thought that they'd rough you up a bit, then send you packing. Y'know, just teach you a lesson." Skuntank sighed. "I didn't expect it to be taken this far."

"Well, it did. And you're the one to blame." Vulcan replied.

"I know, kid. But guess what? That blasted other Crobat knocked _my_ Crobat right out of the sky without coughing up a single poké!"

"How is that my problem?" Vulcan snarled.

"It's not… But we've got a common enemy now."

"You're not making it sound very believable. Even if you _are_ telling me the truth," he deadpanned.

"I am. We can't take those guys on alone. We can't even give them a good fight," Skuntank said with a wince.

"No way… I would've never guessed," Vulcan growled, still trembling with rage.

"...And you guys can't take them yourselves. Heck, right now they're picking you off one by one."

"Courtesy of you," Vulcan reminded him.

"I know! I know... And… I just want to make you an offer, since you're kind of stuck here."

"What makes you think that I'd ever make a deal with _you_ after what you did?"

"Because you don't really have a choice. Would you rather take my offer and help me help you, or just wait here for Mordred or someone to kill you?"

"...That depends on the offer."

"Well, since you're stuck here unless you join an exploration team…" he visibly hesitated, but forced out the question: "How about you join my team for the time being?"

Vulcan's jaw nearly hit the floor. "...What?"

"It's not gonna be for long!" he quickly added. "Just… long enough to get you and your friends out of the mess you're in. That barrier thing vanishes, and you're free to recruit all of them. Then, once Connor knocks some sense into Magnezone, you guys make Team Firestorm again, then we go our separate ways."

"No way. No! I'm not being a member of Team Skull! Never!" he shook his head and stepped backwards slightly.

"Oh, get your head out of the clouds and wake up! I'm the only chance you've got at saving your friends!" Skuntank exclaimed. "You join my team, you get past the barrier!"

"No! Amber will do something!"

"You mean those guys that were with you? They have no idea where you went. I only found you because I knew where you'd be brought. And I heard your shouting."

"No! I'm not joining you!"

Skuntank rolled his eyes and groaned quietly. "I'm trying to help you out… not asking for anything in return, mind you… and you're still saying no?"

"You're Team Skull! You've been picking on us since before we were even Team Firestorm! There's always some trick to everything you do!"

"You're just as thick-skulled as ever. There's something bigger than any of us going on. Do you really think I'd waste my time here without good reason?" Skuntank shrugged as he tossed Vulcan a strange-colored orb from his wonder bag. "Whatever. Break this if you reconsider. No tricks, no double-crosses. You've got my word."

Vulcan caught it gingerly and stared at it briefly, noting the simplicity of the orb. It was a light gray, with no marking symbolizing what its effects were. "What kind of orb is this? I've never…" He looked up, and Skuntank was gone. "Hmph." Vulcan put the orb in his bag and stared at the invisible barrier. "I'm not going to do it. I'll find my own way out."

 **-Roy-**

"So what's first, Valerie? All you've done is extend the confinement barrier," Roy observed.

"We'll have to wait for a little while. Confinement barriers are a mix of science and magic. It's hard to alter them even a little bit, yet alone expand it across an entire mystery dungeon. That took most of my strength to do… So tell me what you can do so far, so I have an idea of where to start when I'm all rested up." Valerie said.

"Well… I can teleport with shadows, shadowbend, shadow heal, shadow-travel, cast incantations of fear, fire, partial paralysis and sleep-"

"First off, only the first one is an incantation." Valerie interrupted. "The others are special moves. Get your terminology correct, if you don't mind. And as for shadow manipulation… My knowledge is very limited, but I can still take what you know… and make it even better."

"Alright… Ah… I think that's it."

"Really?" Valerie smirked and leaned back into her rocking chair as she sipped some more of her beverage. "I thought that with being the alpha Mismagius and all, you'd be able to do more."

Roy tilted his head, baffled, yet honored by the statement. "I'm not the Alpha Mismagius."

"You're not?"

"No…"

"Well, you certainly have me fooled. I can feel your power, Roy. Granted, I can also feel Connor's, Amber's, that Ralts', and Tyranitar's… But they're all either Temporal Guardians, stupidly powerful for no real reason, or an Alpha. But you're not a Temporal Guardian, a Grand Reaper, or a Cosmic Lord. Sooo..."

"Cosmic… what? I've never heard either of those terms before… Is that what Palkia and Giratina's followers are called?" Roy asked.

"Oh! Yes! Palkia just recently came up with a name for his, since names like Cosmic Defenders and Spatial Guardians sounded childish and too similar to Temporal Guardians, and one time he even said that 'Cosmic Knights' sound like something from 'planet popstar'."

"Palkia couldn't figure out what to call them?"

"Not exactly. But close enough. So let's just take this outside, then you can show me what you're capable of!"

"Whoa, go back. Rewind for a minute. Giratina and Palkia have their own equivalents of Temporal Guardians? That's some big news!"

"Of course! The creation trio needs underlings to do _some_ of the grunt work for them! The Temporal Guardians guard time for Dialga so he can focus on maintaining the Temporal Tree; The Cosmic Lords, Palkia's followers, help to prevent dimensions and alternate realities from colliding. That's arguably more important than Time. But the most powerful of them all are the Grand Reapers." Valerie murmured softly, almost with a hint of caution. He sensed her nervousness for a small moment, but her expression betrayed nothing. "They're Giratina's followers. They're the ones that gather lost souls and spirits and bring them to the Distortion World. As you'd expect, they're almost all ghost-types, but their power is equal to my own, if not greater."

"Grand Reapers… They're more powerful than the Temporal Guardians?"

"Yes. Even Tyranitar couldn't stand against a single one of them."

"That's… hard to wrap my head around," he admitted. "Grovyle and Basileus took down a hundred pokémon by themselves without putting any effort into what they're doing."

"Their temporal-kinetic abilities are extremely useful in taking down most pokémon. But each of the three groups are immune to each other's' abilities, which means Grand Reapers and Cosmic Lords can't be frozen in time, Temporal Guardians can't be sucked into alternate realities by Cosmic Lords, et cetera."

"What is a Grand Reaper's ability? To kill pokémon with a look?"

"Why would you assume that?" Valerie smirked. "Just because the other two can manipulate time and space?"

"Yeah… Pretty much."

"Well, I don't know what their ability is. It's never been discovered by any pokémon other than Arceus and Giratina himself."

Roy felt a sudden pulse of negative emotions pouring in from miles away just before he phased into shadows. He focused his spectral senses to hone in on the location, and Valerie perked up and turned to him suddenly. "You sense it too?"

"Caroline…?! She's hurt!" Roy turned to Valerie, then back to where he felt the energy fluctuation. "Can you help her?"

The Delphox rolled her eyes, but shrugged. "Why not?" She stood up and grabbed her wand. "I'll be right back. Then I'll need to rest for real." She tapped the ground with her stick-wand and was enveloped in a tornado of fire.

 **-Atlas-**

He opened his eyes when he heard voices echoing across the mountainside. He sat up cautiously and crawled to the edge of the alcove he was resting in, and he saw a Scyther and Absol pacing the next section of stone several dozen meters below. He stayed silent and tried to listen in on their conversation.

"-up here? Mordred said his barrier ended at the edge of the Mystery Dungeon." a scratchy, irritating voice asked.

"I don't know… But all these piles of rubble and holes leading up the mountain lead me to believe that we're close… We just have to find him and subdue him." a deeper, silvery voice replied.

"But why'd we bring a dark-type to fight a fighting-type?"

"Because I know psychic. That will be sufficient to take him down."

Atlas suppressed a scoff. His belt healed him when he was hit with any psychic-type move. Then an idea formed in his head, and against his instinct, he called out to them. "Hey!"

Both of the pokémon's heads pointed directly at him, and the Scyther took to the air in a split second, rapidly closing the distance between them. Atlas smiled and leapt out of the alcove, then used earthquake as he landed, triggering a rock slide on that entire mountainside that poured over everything. The Absol's eyes glowed blue as the rocks slowed down and were eventually stopped in midair, forming a wall of psychic energy. Atlas took that opportunity to run up to it and punch it in the face with a brick break attack. He felt its cheekbone fracture as he grabbed its horn with one hand and held its paws with two more, then stepped on its back paws with his own feet, following up by slamming its head into the stone kind of gently, so he didn't accidentally kill it. "Here I am. Right here."

The Absol's eyes lost their glow, and the rock slide cascaded over them. Atlas used wide guard to shield them, throwing up a red protect barrier that blocked all but the smallest debris from hitting them. The Absol seemed to realize what was happening, and tried to use psychic. Atlas felt the attack take hold of him, then just as quickly, his belt drew in the energy and glowed with a golden light. Then a pulse of healing energy coursed through his body, healing his bruises and gashes on his arms from earlier. His welts retreated back into his skin and the burned craters filled themselves in. He laughed lightly and placed one hand on the Absol's neck. "What else you got?"

The Absol opened its mouth slightly, and Atlas used his lower left hand to shove an x-eye seed down its throat. It fought to keep from swallowing the seed, but Atlas readied flamethrower, and upon seeing the fire in the back of the fighting-type's throat, it ate the seed. Immediately, its eyes glazed over and it started looking around wildly. Atlas sighed and grabbed its hind legs as it began thrashing wildly with a terrified shout. "NO! GO AWAY! PLEASE!" Atlas heard buzzing behind him and turned just in time to see the Scyther land on the ground in front of him. It leapt forward and slashed at him, but he blocked with a karate chop and swept its legs out from beneath it with low sweep. _Now that my strength's back, this is much easier._

Atlas swung the Absol with one hand and slammed it into the scyther as it got up, smashing it against the broken cliffside. Then he went to punch it again, but he wasn't paying attention, and he completely phased through the bug-type with his shadow fist.

He stumbled, and the Scyther went to jab his stomach, but Atlas used bulk up. His arms and legs swelled up and glowed slightly with power, and the Scyther's blade barely scratched his iron-hard skin. (Machoke's ORAS pokedex entry)

He slammed its head into the cliffside again, then grabbed its arms with his two hands. He held the bug-type in front of him and readied flamethrower, but it shook its head and closed its eyes tightly. "Please! Don't!"

"Why not?" Atlas questioned. "You guys were hunting me. Once I fight back, you ask me to not kill you? Now, I'm not the smartest pokémon, but it looks like you need a reminder of what happens to pokémon that cross us. Especially me."

"Please… Have mercy!"

"Mercy..." Atlas echoed annoyedly. "Fine. I'll make it quick." He slammed the bug-type's head into the ground so hard that it sent a shockwave across the barren stone. He quickly scraped his hand against the ground to clean it off and turned to the Absol, who was still dazed from the x-eye seed. He force fed it a heal seed after trapping it in a rock tomb, making sure that it wouldn't be able to escape. Its eyes glowed crimson as it gasped lightly. "What…? No!" It struggled to break free from the stone, and Atlas held its head with two of his hands until it was looking straight at him. "What's up? You know who I am, I'm guessing?"

"Atlas…" The Absol's eyes were like those of a cornered animal. Scared and desperate.

"Nice. You know my name. Now listen; I've got a proposition for you. Can you do something for me?"

"Y-Yes."

"Good, good…" Atlas held its horn in his hand and stared into its eyes. "I want you to swear to Arceus that you'll never attack me again, and that you will deliver my message to Mordred and whoever else runs the Mafia. The 'big four'. That's what they're called, right?"

"Yes! Yes… I… I swear to Arceus that I'll never attack you again… and I will deliver your message." The Absol replied.

"Alright, cool. That's a binding oath, so… yeah. Tell Mordred and whoever else runs the Mafia that we're coming for them. That's it." Atlas snapped his fingers, and the rock tomb collapsed into rubble. The Absol didn't look up as it walked down the mountain, but turned its head away from the Scyther. Atlas took a quivering breath and faced the cliffside while placing two of his hands against his hips. "Well… Let's not do that again."

* * *

 **Alright, that's chapter 6! Let me know what you guys think about it! Is Skuntank serious about no double-crosses? How powerful must the grand reapers be in order to make Tyranitar seem weak?**

 **As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen, feel free to leave them in the form of a review or PM! I always appreciate it! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	7. Small Things

**-Chapter VII: Small Things-**

 **-Alice-**

Her breathing accelerated as she rapidly glanced back and forth between the Bulbasaur and Team Virus, She grabbed her mega stone, ready to fight her way out of this, and Nagini hissed suddenly. "Don't let her touch the mega stone!"

Before any of them could stop her, she was enveloped in a purple sphere, and was able to sense every living thing around her with her eyes closed. She saw the Haxorus dashing towards her, and in the blink of an eye, she leaned back on her ears and kicked its chest with a mega kick, sending it sprawling backwards twenty feet. The Banette was enveloped in a purple sphere as well, and Alice gasped as the Banette's arms and legs elongated and sprouted new, more defined fingers, as well as golden seams appearing all over its skin at all of its joints, such as its elbows, shoulders, and neck. It cackled and raised its hand at her, and she was consumed by darkness. She closed her eyes and tried to get a read on the ghost-type, but she was hit from behind by a thunderbolt. Then the Banette appeared before her in the darkness and held her head at eye level. "Hee-hee-hee-ha-ha-ha! You think you're the only one that can use mega evolution? I am the Alpha Banette. You simply have a stone that lets you mega evolve… You're no match for me."

Alice punched the Banette back with her ears and stood up, charging a shadow ball in her hands. "I'm Alice of Team Firestorm. You will never beat me!" The Banette sunk into the ground just as Alice launched the shadow ball, and Alice began charging a Focus Punch. The Banette cackled and appeared in front of her. Alice growled and used her ears for support as she hit the Banette. The focus punch went straight through the Banette's stomach and out its backside, and it stared at her in shock as shadowy blood dripped through the zipper across its mouth. "How…"

"Go back to the Distortion World."

The Banette melted into shadows with an eerie wail, and Alice's vision returned. She stood up shakily, then was thrown to the ground by an invisible force. The Banette's voice echoed in her head, making her cover her ears. "You think I didn't know about your special 'ability'? I was just testing you, doll… Now the real party begins. Show me just what little girls are made of!" **(AN: Scrappy lets fighting and normal-type moves hit ghost-types)**

Alice stepped backwards as the Klinklang and Haxorus closed in, and Nagini dropped from the trees and slithered towards her. She used ice punch and fire punch simultaneously, pointing both of her hands at the Klinklang and Haxorus. "Stay back!"

The Klinklang laughed. A hollow, metallic laugh that set her on edge. *Hm-hm-hm-hm… Your effort at resistance is amusing, Lopunny. Unfortunately for you, we already know all of the moves that you could use against us. It is impractical to keep fighting. Nagini has given me permission to study you, and see how you are able to manipulate emotions to the extent that you can. If you give up now, then your death shall be swift. If you do not surrender… Then you will wish that you had given up.*

Alice willed the fire in her hand to expand, making it seem even larger. "I said stay back. If you don't… Then you're going to regret it."

*I highly doubt that. Your chances at overpowering us are less than three percent. Larua can finish you herself, as can Nagini, but that would only anger our employer. He has requested that we bring you in alive.* the Klinklang replied.

Alice glared at him and shook her head. "I did that once before… I'm not about to be sold as someone's slave."

The Klinklang sighed, then turned to the Haxorus. *Arturia, can you finish this?*

The Haxorus smiled cruelly and crouched down into a running stance. "Of course I can."

Then it dashed forward again. Alice readied a mega kick, but at the last second, the Haxorus stopped on a dime and used iron tail, sweeping Alice's legs out from beneath her. She fell on her back, and the Haxorus stomped right where she had been a moment before. She took a deep breath and used baton pass, swapping everyone's positions, causing Nagini to use poison tail on the Klinklang, which did little more than annoy the steel-type. They all focused on her, and she charged up a focus blast. This one was much bigger than any other focus blast she had ever done. Easily three feet across. She held it in front of her body and shot it forward, but its orange coloration transformed into a shade of violet, and the entire blast was broken apart and scattered into nothingness.

Then she felt a stabbing pain in her back as the Banette whispered, "I came from the Distortion World, child… Allow me to show you the horrors that I've experienced."

Alice's vision went black, and the first thing she saw was purple fire. She was on a wooden structure that moved down a river made of… spectral blood. She nearly threw up from the smell alone. It reeked of burnt… something. Probably souls. It smelled like Roy after getting back from the Dark Crater, except multiplied by a hundred thousand.

She heard a small voice behind her, and a tiny shuppet was pressed against the side of the ship they were on, cowering in fear. "Where am I...?"

"Larua…?" Alice wondered aloud. But the little pokémon didn't acknowledge her.

Then she heard it. The screams and shouts. She only glanced out of the boat for a moment, but she knew that the images she saw in that moment would haunt her for the rest of her life. Images of tortured souls burning, drowning, being beaten… It was worse than words could describe. She looked to the ground and fought a wave of nausea as she fell to her hands and knees. They didn't look like pokémon, but she knew... This was where the evil pokémon were sent. _No pokemon deserves this... This is cruel._

The Shuppet floated upwards, and Alice tried to stop her. "NO! Don't look!"

The Shuppet gasped lightly and stared, wide-eyed at the death in front of them. "Larua… Avert your eyes." A ghostly, pale Fraxure grabbed the Shuppet gingerly and held the ghost-type's head against its chest.

"Arturia… Are we-" the boat came to a grinding halt, throwing all of the pokémon forward and interrupting her sentence. A Chandelure floated from the river with a haunting cackle. "Hm-hm-ha-ha-ha! HA-HA-HA-HA!"

The Shuppet cowered in fear as the Chandelure lit the boat aflame with its purple fire. Alice felt the heat as if she was actually there. She backed away as the ship creaked and groaned, and the Chandelure absorbed several pokémon into its body with a smile. "Ah… ripe for the picking, as always…"

"H-Hey!" The Fraxure shouted at the ghost-type.

"Hm? Oh! I didn't realize… Um… This is awkward."

The rest of the pokémon remained silent as the Chandelure floated closer. "Are you… Arturia? And Larua?"

The Haxorus nodded slowly, tears in its eyes, and the Chandelure smiled warmly. "Girls! I've been looking for you! I expected you to be on the next ship… Apologies for the… fright I gave you. Heh. I've been sent to bring you back."

"Back…?"

"That's right. A special someone wants you two, and I'm going to give you a chance at life away from this living hell. How's that sound?"

They were both silent, and the Chandelure floated closer. "C'mon, I need some confirmation. Giratina's not gonna be happy if I'm here much longer. I need a head nod, verbal yes or no, doesn't matter."  
The Shuppet nodded slowly, and the Chandelure's flames flared up as it began swirling its arms in an entrancing pattern. "Marvelous. Now… This'll hurt a little bit, but don't worry. It won't be long."  
The flames enveloped them all, and Alice felt nothing but her skin being evaporated until she completely lost consciousness.

 **-Caroline-**

"...!"

"Huh…?"

"Caroline!"

"Ryder?"

"Thank Arceus! You're alive…!"

She tried to sit up but grunted quietly, using all of her strength to stop from screaming in agony. "What happened?"

"You-"

"You were being reckless." Another pokémon said from the shadows of the small wooden structure she suddenly found herself in. "Caroline, wasn't it?" her voice was distinctly female, but it was distorted, almost as if...

"Ryder, who…"

"She saved us. That's all that's important."

"She's using telepathy." Caroline blurt out. "Who are you?"

"Very good, child…" The pokémon floated closer, and Caroline's eyes widened.

"You're not a psychic type…?!"

"Surprising, isn't it? Didn't expect a pokémon like me, did you?"

"No… I didn't." She laid on her side, staring at the Venomoth that was crouched in front of her.

"Well, lucky for you, I happen to specialize in toxins like this. You might as well have been a skeleton when I found you. The acid had eaten you all the way to the bone in almost twenty different locations. I managed to concoct a healing agent similar to the Sceptile that you travelled with prior to being separated that was able to keep you alive this long."

Caroline winced, but stayed still. "How did you know about her?"

"I can communicate with you through telepathy. Reading memories is a simple matter. I don't really care who you are, or why you were being hunted by the Mafia."

"Then why did you save me?"

"Because you're the only other I've met that I know I can trust. I saw it in you while you laid there, and…" the Venomoth glanced pointedly at Ryder. "I only let him join because he would have died as well. And he's practically family to you"

"Why... do you trust me?" she wheezed. Every breath felt like she was swallowing boiling acid, but she had to ask.

"You want to know the truth? You're a part of Team Firestorm. They are the team that has the Mafia running scared. And I want to keep it that way."

"I think you've got it backwards, lady… They're hunting them like it's a game." Ryder said.

"Hmph. So simple-minded, you men. Do _you_ know their end-game, Caroline?"

"I know they want us dead." she managed.

"No, it's much more than that, I'm afraid… You see, your team successfully infiltrated their mountain base, even though they knew you were coming. And Alice got within a few feet of Victor, and nearly beat two of the most elite killers on Immanis in the process. They are terrified of what you're capable of… even separated, you're a lot stronger than you think."

Caroline almost laughed, but she was in too much pain. "Do you have any pain killers…?"

"Oh. Yes. Hold on…" She flapped her wings, and some of the Venomoth's powdery scales latched onto her skin. As soon as they made contact, she lost all feeling in her body. Only her eyes and mouth could move. "What did you…"

"Paralyzing scales. It's the only thing that can ease the pain at the moment. Apologies if you don't like having your mobility taken away. But you're safe here."

"So how am I... stronger than I think? I was almost... killed by a single Gengar." she mumbled weakly.

"A Gengar is one of the most powerful ghost-types, and it happened to have an extremely powerful poison-type attack, and it landed a lucky strike on you. I don't know how it went through a muddy water, light screen and wooden barrier, but I sent them running scared back to Victor. So don't worry."

"Victor…?"

"...You don't know who he is." The Venomoth said slowly. "Alright then… Let's use names you know… Mordred is the second in command, behind Victor."

"Who's Victor?"

"The leader of the pokémon Mafia! He's the one calling all of the shots behind the scenes! Only a small handful of pokémon have seen him, let alone talked to him! Mordred, the Bisharp you believe is responsible for the deaths of Nocturne, Magnus and Rose? He answers to Victor."

"What species is he?"

"He's a Honchkrow. And he is elusive. He only shows himself when he believes it is completely safe. And even then, he is cautious. Mordred is always by his side, and when he's not, Victor has an entire army of pokémon at his disposal."

"Okay… But how did you fight them off?"

"Pardon?"

"When I lost consciousness… Ryder was… staring at me… crying. How did you get to us?"

"I heard the shouting… and happened to be in the area." she said nonchalantly.

"And fought off two pokémon that could overpower me and Ryder?"

"I'm stronger than I seem."

"Are you the alpha?"

"Me? Arceus, no! I wish I was! Then I could end Victor myself!"

"What's your beef with this Victor guy anyways?" Ryder asked.

"You ask a lot of questions. And I don't want to discuss anything more than is absolutely necessary with you."

"Why?"

"I don't have to answer that."

"Okay… But will you?"

"No. Don't try wordplay with me." the Venomoth grumbled.

"Alright, so what is their endgame?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know… I know that they were originally after Iden because he had the Relic Fragment that granted its carrier access to the Hidden Land, and in turn, Temporal Tower itself. But Iden disappeared after bestowing that precious item upon Team Core… And it didn't take long for Victor to find out about Iden's son."

"Vulcan?"

"That's right. Your co-leader is the son of the pokémon that the Mafia was hunting. But they couldn't attack you right away, due to your close ties with the police. They have been planning this for years. Your separation? It was all a part of the plan."

"But why are they after us?"

"Whenever they abducted Vulcan that first time a couple weeks ago… They just wanted him to give up where Iden was."

"That's crazy! Vulcan's never even met his father!"

"I know that. And once they found that out… they hypnotized him and convinced him to attack your team. They knew you would come for him. It's what you 'noble' pokémon do, isn't it?" The Venomoth smiled wistfully. "And after you did some considerable damage to their little group, it got Victor's attention. He wants you all dead now for the inconvenience you've been. And Iden realized that right away. He's gotten bolder. He's been seen by at least two members of the Mafia, and each time… he was where your team was not even days before."

"He's looking for us?"

"For Vulcan. Iden knows that Vulcan is alive. And he intends to find him. But the Mafia is looking for Iden. Only one question remains now."

"...And?" Caroline pressed.

"Who will find who first?"

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm glad that Caroline is alright. But Alice saw some things, man...**

 **P.S. Don't worry about me explaining stuff, if you're confused. Everything gets explained eventually.**

 **As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories, feel free to leave a review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	8. Ice Cold Souls

**Surprise! Double upload! I'm actually going out of town starting today, so I won't be able to upload on friday like I normally would. So... Enjoy! -PL**

* * *

 **-Chapter VIII: Ice Cold Souls-**

 **-Jade-**

"How did you survive…?" Jade murmured. It took everything she had to not cry, so that was all she could say.

"I don't know… I thought you were dead." Hazel replied just as quietly.

"I'm here… Mom, I'm here." Then she couldn't hold it in anymore. She broke down. Hazel pulled Jade into a gentle embrace and stroked her head. "It's alright, Iris… I know." Then she took a deep breath. "How long has it been… since our village…?"

"Nine years and seven months. I've never forgotten." Jade whispered with confidence.

"Arceus, it's been so long… I've forgotten what it's like out there."

"It's beautiful… A land filled with grass, and forests… And pokémon." Jade teared up and asked, "What do you know about the pokémon that attacked our village?"

"I know that they are evil pokémon… And that they were looking for someone."

"Iden…" Jade murmured. She'd heard the name too many times to forget it.

Hazel nodded quickly as Jade floated backwards and sat in the snow. "After your uncle and I… took him in, those evil pokémon weren't far behind. They burned every house after he escaped from them. And that Bisharp… He killed you."

"What? No, that's impossible. I remember that he left me there as I watched you…" Jade stopped mid-sentence to stop from sobbing.

"A team found us that day… And saved us."

"Who?" Jade quickly asked.

"They called themselves 'Team Hope'." Hazel replied.

"I met them once… On Immanis." Jade recalled the strange group of pokémon that she had met several months after becoming a part of Team Firestorm.

"Immanis? The Mainland?"

"Yes."

"How did you get there?"

"About a year ago… A team found me. Team Firestorm. They recruited me as a part of their family."

"Team Firestorm…" Hazel echoed. "Who found you? What pokémon were on their team?"

"A Charmander, Mudkip and a Smeargle were the ones that found me."

Hazel took a deep breath, but nodded silently.

"Is something wrong? Have you met them?" Jade wondered aloud.

"Whenever I lost you… I was driven into madness. Over time, I began attacking any pokémon that came here, out of fear of being attacked. Eventually, the pokémon that you just described… they came here… And they fought back with such ferocity… I couldn't beat them. They drove me away, and I haven't seen them since."

Jade gasped and teared up. "Arceus, that was you?! I didn't know-!"

"It's alright, my angel. I was in a very dark place… But you've come back. I promise that I will never leave you."

She nodded quickly as she looked around once more. "Mother, I have to get back."

"Back? There's no way off of this island." Hazel replied. She seemed perplexed by Jade's statement.

"What?"

"The only way is through psychic warping or using an Exploration Badge. And no psychics ever visit this place anymore."

Jade slowly sunk to the ground as she realized that she had never travelled to or from this island without her exploration badge. "No…" _There has to be another way. A land bridge, or-_

"Why do you need to get back?" Hazel asked.

"Because I'm here to kill her." another voice said matter-of-factly.

Hazel instinctively tackled Jade and phased into shadows as a wave of fire washed over the crater they were in. Jade fought against the invisible force dragging her into darkness, but her mother's voice pierced her mind. "Focus, Iris! We have to be smart! We can't fight fire in our current state!"

"I have to fight! That pokémon is after me, and I can't put you in harms' way!"

"And I will not lose you again! Now run!"

 **-Mirage-**

"Over here!" she heard a gruff-sounding voice shout. She laid there helplessly, out of food and energy, the pain in her chest preventing her from moving. She could barely open her eyes, so she didn't waste energy looking at who found her. If it was those pokémon… Then she was dead already. But what came next took her by surprise: She was gently lifted from the sand by a psychic force. She'd felt it enough times to know when it was telekinetic. Then she was set on the back of another massive pokémon. She felt sand surrounding her, but only a few inches. It didn't envelop her entirely. Then she started moving, almost as if she were on top of another pokémon. She opened one eye and saw a Claydol levitating next to her. One of its many eyes stared directly at her, and she gasped lightly. It floated slightly closer, but the voice from earlier said, "Leave her be. She's in critical condition."

*I know.*

"Where are you taking me?" Mirage groaned weakly. The Claydol rolled its eyes, but the burly voice interrupted again. "To the Kingdom of the Sands. You know what it is, I presume?"

"All too well…" Mirage murmured with minimal disgust. _Let's see if it's anything like what I remember._

"So what were you doing all the way out here?"

Mirage glanced down and realized that the pokémon she was on was a Hippowdon. But it wasn't the one talking. And neither was the Claydol.

"Huh?"

"There aren't any Mystery Dungeons or Villages around for miles You're lucky we came by when we did; Otherwise the Sandile would've gotten you."

The Claydol's eyes narrowed as it muttered something under its breath, but she tried to look at the other pokémon behind her. "Who are you?"

"I'm simply a wandering pokémon. Me and my friends here collect rare artifacts from the ruins in the Northern Desert and sell them to merchants in the Kingdom." Then it came into her field of vision. A massive Garchomp. It was almost as tall as Tyranitar, but it was a lot more… slender. Not as bulky. But it looked very muscular. He was probably just as strong. She observed the new pokémon silently as it lumbered next to the Hippowdon. "We're bringing you to the Kingdom of the Sands because it's the only place around where you can heal. We were headed there anyways, so we're not going to charge you anything." he said with a small smile as he handed her an Oran Berry.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she said through the mouthful of berry.

The Garchomp shrugged and drop-kicked a Sandile that rose from the sand in front of him. "The way I see it, there aren't enough good pokémon anymore. I don't know if you've heard of them, but the pokémon Mafia's extended its reach all the way out here. At least, that's what everyone's calling them. Good pokémon are hard to come by because of that."

Mirage almost laughed as the little sand-crocodile soared across the desert. Her pain had faded almost entirely. "Why'd you do that?"

"What?"

"You just punted that Sandile like it was a ball!"

"Yeah? There are so many of those little things; And they're a nuisance, attacking any pokémon that fall victim to the heat out here. They'll rip you to shreds if there's enough of 'em."

"That doesn't mean you can just-"

The Hippowdon stopped moving as the Garchomp knelt down to eye level with her. "Alright, listen. We just saved your life. The way I see it, you're not in any position to lecture me about my life choices, alright?"

"Fine." Mirage eventually said. The Garchomp smirked briefly and they continued walking.

"So what's your name?" the Garchomp asked after a long, pretty awkward silence.

"You first."

"That's not how this works, sweetheart. I asked you, so you answer first."

"...Mirage." she eventually said.

"Like a desert mirage?" The Garchomp asked. "Those things are brutal."

"More like a speed mirage." she corrected him, taking care not to sound snobby.

"Is that right? You some kind of speed demon?"

"Well… I can pass the speed of sound when I'm in not injured." Mirage half-bragged.

"Huh. Impressive." The Garchomp replied. His footing faltered shortly after, and he lightly stomped the ground with his clawed foot. Then his entire body shuddered so fast that he sunk into the sand in the blink of an eye. All eight of the Claydol's eyes began glowing, and the sand beneath them shifted in return, rumbling and vibrating the ground with such intensity that the Hippowdon nearly lost its footing. Then, in front of her eyes, a massive palace constructed of dark yellow sandstone and yellow-stained marble rose from the desert floor, the pools of golden powder cascading down the sides of the intricately carved pillars and walls, forming piles of sand on all the sides of the place. The Garchomp burst through one of the walls, grinning from ear to ear. "We hit the jackpot, Gabriel."

She tried to sit up, but a shout of pain escaped as her arms gave out from beneath her. The Garchomp pulled a single item out of his bag and chuckled warmly. Then the item floated forward until it latched onto her skin. She relaxed as the Reviver seed did its work, and within a few seconds, she already felt better. The Claydol remained perfectly still as the Garchomp walked back into the dark chamber inside of the monumental structure. She waited on the Hippowdon's back for about twenty minutes in silence. There was literally no noise aside from a light humming coming from the Claydol.

Then she saw a small triangular shape emerge from the sand to her right, and the Garchomp leapt from the sand with so much speed that it easily flew ten feet into the air before landing and laughing lightly. "Oh, man… That place had it all."

The Claydol's eyes stopped glowing, and the entire palace sunk back into the sand without collapsing. The only evidence of the Garchomp's pillaging was a small crater of sand about twenty feet away, but it was barely four feet across. Not noticeable enough to attract any attention.

*What kind of treasures did you get this time?*

"Oh, man… All kinds of stuff. Way more than just gems and gold." the Garchomp replied with glee as he set the treasure bag on the Hippowdon's back. It was the same size as a normal treasure bag… But maybe it was enchanted or something. That was the only explanation. "We'll be rich once we sell this stuff! We can build our own palace! Ha-ha!"

Mirage smiled warmly, genuinely happy for these pokémon. They had given her a reviver seed, rescued her when they very well could have left her to die, and were about to make a lot of poké just from selling items they find in the desert. She had never seen a single pokémon lift such a massive structure, and she doubted that it would ever get old. Watching a palace rise from the sand like that… It was indescribable.

"So…"

"Relax. We're on our way to the palace. It won't be more than a few hours, as fast as our Hippowdon walks."

The pokémon she was sitting on grumbled contentedly as it continued lumbering at its slow pace.

"I can get there myself now… Thank you for the reviver seed-"

"Do you know where you're going?"

"Of course! I have my map right…" She quickly pat her bag down and opened it quickly, then gasped. "My map's gone!"

"Oooh… Is that what that was?" the Garchomp asked as it held a sheet of rolled up paper. "It's a blank piece of paper we found next to you. How is this a map?"

"Give it back!" Mirage exclaimed.

"I'll make you a deal," the Garchomp replied.

"No! Give me my map back!"

"How about this? Since we did save your life, and you seem like an interesting individual… you accompany us to the kingdom, then we give you your map back."

"I want it back now!" she quickly said.

"Say please," he teased. "Then I might."

"S-stop it!" she stammered. "Or I'll take it from you!"

"You're welcome to try," the Garchomp replied with a challenging smile. "Let's see what you're made of, princess!"

She growled quietly, and he took several steps backwards whilst spreading his arms in a 'come at me' gesture. "You and me, one-on-one. You win… you can have your map and go. If I win… you come with us to the kingdom."

"Why do you want me to come with you?" she questioned. "Not saying I'll lose, but hypothetically speaking?"

"It'll be an interesting change of pace to have another pokémon to talk to." he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh… Okay. I guess. But I'm not going easy on you!"

"Nor will I."

"Alright! Let's get started!" she flew forward and used power-up punch, but the Garchomp deflected her fist with its wing and kicked her stomach with its shin, knocking the breath out of her. It simply smiled and stood in the same spot, and she used dragon pulse. Just before the attack connected, it sunk into the sand, and she only saw a single fin cutting through the sand before the Garchomp leapt from the ground and slammed into her so hard that she slid across the ground for almost twenty feet. She caught her breath and used earthquake, but the Garchomp was surrounded in a thin white aura and took to the air. She gasped and flew up to meet him head-on, but just as she hit the back of his head, he vanished in a flurry of sand, and the giant dragon-type slammed into her from above. Then he appeared beneath her and caught her just before she hit the ground. He gently set her down and let out a single laugh. "Give up yet?"

"No!" she said as she swept his legs out from beneath him. He stumbled, but still uppercut her as she tried to get up, knocking her flat on her back again. Then he placed his other foot on her chest and smirked "I win."

She pushed his foot aside and stood up as he handed her a dried oran berry. "Here. You fought pretty good."

"Pretty good? I didn't even land a hit on you!"

"You landed the dragon tail… sort of." he informed her.

"Whatever! How are you so good at fighting?"

"...Reasons? I dunno, it just comes naturally."

"You made a substitute mid-attack, then another that landed on top of me in midair after I hit that one, then you caught me before I hit the ground. That takes more than skill. You've been trained." she told him.

"Alright, you got me. I used to be a guard at the king's palace." he raised his hands in defeat, then began walking.

"What…?" she flew forward until she was walking at the same pace as him, and he laughed.

"I'm totally kidding. I wish I could visit the palace. It's so gorgeous on the outside… Way prettier than any ruins out here." he said with a small amount of longing.

"True… But who trained you?"

"My old man taught me to fight. It's a cruel world out here. You have to be able to defend yourself, because there will be times when it's just you against somebody else. There's gonna be times when there's no backup. No teammates. And if you lose, it could cost you."

"Your father taught you to fight like that?"

"Yup. I mean, it helps that I'm really big for my species. I usually dwarf every other pokémon around."

"That's gotta be really nice," she replied. "To be able to win almost any fight."

"Who said I win? I've gotten my tail kicked more times than I can count."

"You? Really? I know I'm not the most experienced fighter, but you're really good."

"I didn't get this good overnight. It's taken a lot of practice."

*I sense a hostile pokémon closing in quickly.* the Claydol said warily.

"Steelix? Excadrill?" the Garchomp's smile vanished as he seemed to be listening for something.

*No… It is flying through the air. And much faster than Gliscor or Skarmory.* Gabriel replied.

"Hmph. Let's see what it is." the Garchomp replied. "Send them a warning."

The Claydol's eyes began glowing in response, and a moment later the glowing stopped. *There are two… A Noivern with another on its back.*

 _They found me._ Mirage gasped as the figures came into view.

"Get down!" she tackled the Claydol as a signal beam was fired from the back of the Noivern. The Garchomp growled and used aerial ace to meet them head on, but the Noivern used dragon rush in response, slamming into the Garchomp's stomach so hard that he caused a miniature sand-explosion upon hitting the ground. Then it landed on top of him, crushing him with its full body weight.

"Leave them out of this!" she pleaded. The Claydol hovered forward and began rapidly rotating, but the Ariados leapt off of the Noivern's back and ensnared him in a web, then slammed him into the ground. The Noivern raised its foot and stomped on the Garchomp's chest again, and Mirage teared up as she heard the cracking of bones and the agonizing shouts of pain. "Stop! Please!"

The Noivern kicked the Garchomp's head with a sickening amount of force, then slammed down on his face with its heel. The Garchomp raised his fin weakly, but the Noivern swatted it aside and raised its foot again, about to deal a finishing blow.

"I. said. STOP!" Mirage screamed. And the entire desert shook in response to her plea.

 **-Dusknoir-**

He floated through the halls of the golden and platinum palace, ignoring the skeletal pokémon standing guard against the walls that consisted of shadow-infused platinum until he came directly to the pokémon he was looking for.

 **SPEAK.**

Dusknoir took a deep breath to calm his nerves as the single word seemed to shake his very spirit. "Lord Giratina… I understand that my… behavior has been less than acceptable as of late…"

 **YOU WOULD BE CORRECT. YOU ARE TRANSPIRING WITH THE TEMPORAL GUARDIANS TO BRING BACK THE DEAD.**

"Y-yes, sir… I have been looking into the possibility of reviving some very important pokémon."

 **YOU OF ALL POKÉMON SHOULD KNOW THE LAWS OF DEATH. YOUR KNOWLEDGE IS SECOND ONLY TO MY OWN.**

"I… understand, lord Giratina." The heavyset ghost shuddered in the presence of the ghostly dragon. "However… I… know a pokémon that could find them. And bring them all back."

 **THE MISMAGIUS?**

"Yes. He is powerful… And not born a ghost, as I am sure you already know."

 **CASTIEL.** the dragon-type's eyes flashed red, and Dusknoir was overwhelmed with terror, in spite of himself. Then Giratina's eyes returned to normal, and the fear vanished. **I GAVE HIM A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE. DIALGA HAS TOLD ME OF THE IMPORTANCE THAT THAT MISMAGIUS HOLDS. HE WILL BE THE ONE TO CHANGE THE FATE OF TEAM FIRESTORM. UNDER THE FALLEN'S INSTRUCTION, HE WILL BECOME THE MOST POWERFUL GHOST POKÉMON IN EXISTENCE. DIALGA IS CERTAIN OF THAT. AND MY BROTHER IS NEVER WRONG.**

"Roy will become more powerful than us? Than you?"

 **I AM A SON OF ARCEUS. ONLY MY FATHER IS MORE POWERFUL THAN ME, DUSKNOIR.**

"With all due respect, lord Giratina… Did team Firestorm not retrieve the Rock Horn from the World Abyss? The item that you guard?"

 **YOU THINK THAT I WOULD USE MY FULL POWER ON MORTAL POKÉMON? MY FORM IN THAT WORLD EXISTS SOLELY BECAUSE IN MY ORIGIN FORM, MERELY BEING IN MY PRESENCE WILL KILL ANY POKÉMON THAT IS AFFECTED BY THE PASSING OF TIME.**

"I… understand. Forgive me. I was out of place with my brash statement."

 **IT IS ALRIGHT, DUSKNOIR. YOU ARE A CURIOUS INDIVIDUAL… ALWAYS LOOKING TO EXPAND YOUR PLETHORA OF KNOWLEDGE. YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW POKÉMON TO EARN MY RESPECT.**

"Thank you, Lord Giratina. But may I ask… one more question?"

" **YOU MAY."**

"What did you mean by Roy changing Team Firestorm's fate?"

The ghastly serpent's golden faceplate split down the middle and parted, revealing his mouth as he spoke. **I WAS BORN WITH THE POWER AND MENTAL CAPACITY TO FULFILL MY ROLE AS THE GUARDIAN OF DEATH. THAT ABILITY ALLOWS ME TO SEE THE DEATHS OF EVERY LIVING THING AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT. TEAM FIRESTORM'S END IS VERY NEAR. AND THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN ALTER THEIR FATE IS CASTIEL. NOT EVEN THE SWAMPERT CAN HELP THEM AGAINST WHAT IS TO COME.**

* * *

Ooooh, man... Things are heating up! Jade and Mirage are being attacked! Mirage was rescued by a couple tomb-raider pokemon, but now they're in trouble.

As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! It was a bit longer than usual. What did you guys think of the ruins rising from the sand? Or Giratina's conversation with Dusknoir?

If you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen, feel free to leave them in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!

-PL


	9. Freedom's Cost

**-Chapter IX: Freedom's Cost-**

 **-Connor-**

He wiped his mouth with his forearm, noting the small line of blood coming from his lip. "Huh… You earned this spot for a reason."

The opposing Aggron chuckled, then held back a wince. Connor knew that he'd done a lot of damage. They had slugged it out for about ten minutes, landing blow after blow on each other. Interestingly enough, none of the other pokémon broke up the fight. And neither did the officers, which was even weirder.

Then the Aggron charged forward. Connor wound up for another punch, aiming for anywhere other than that steel armor. He'd already fractured one hand because he forgot that his fighting-type moves didn't activate in here. The Aggron leaned down as he ran, obviously an attempt to impale Connor on his horns, but he leapt to the side at the last second. Then the Aggron stretched out his arm and clotheslined him, knocking him flat on his back. His vision was spinning from that hit. It was a simple tactic that was normally avoidable, but he didn't see it coming.

*Zzzt! Move aside. Zzzt!* Connor struggled to right himself as a Magneton floated through the other criminal pokémon, who parted for the lone officer. *Zzzt! Come with me. Zzzt!*

"Me?" Connor asked. The Magneton nodded and created an electric field around them and used metal burst to chain his hands to his legs. Just enough length in the chains so that he could walk, but not run.

*Zzzt! Officer Magnezone wishes to speak with you personally. Zzzt!*

Connor heard the other pokémon whistling and chuckling, muttering harsh comments. He didn't care. He'd fight every one of them if they got in his way. He had to get out of here. But how?

The Magneton parted the crowd and floated straight through the wall. Connor walked with the officer's energy field, unable to see anything after that. Only the yellow lines of electricity forming a dome around him. Then it cleared out, and he was thrown into the wall by a magnetic force. His shackles were stuck to the wall. His mind was spinning, and a bright light was shining on him so he couldn't see his surroundings beyond the light. He squinted as Magnezone hovered forward and nodded solemnly. *Zzzt! Connor… Where are Vincent and Rose? Zzzt!* Magnezone asked.

"That's what you wanted to ask? They're dead, for Arceus' sake! Just let me go!" Connor growled and strained against the magnetic pull of the wall, but Magnezone shook his head slowly. *Zzzt! I cannot. The one above me has forbade it. Zzzt!*

"Who else is above you?! You're the head of the police!" Connor exclaimed. This was ridiculous!

"I'll take it from here." A deep, commanding voice resonated throughout the room. Magnezone floated aside to reveal a Honchkrow that walked forward. It had a rough look about it, like it had been around the block a few times. But his stature screamed _leader._ He had a dark maroon cape with black trimming across his shoulders, with his wings folded behind his back. Connor stared warily at the Honchkrow as he smiled warmly and moved closer. "Greetings, Connor…"

"What a conveniently timed entrance," he replied sarcastically. "I think we were just talking about you."

"...You're the one that's been so great of a help to us. Your team has single-handedly captured more outlaws than any other team on file, if my reports are correct?" the Honchkrow ignored him and started asking questions, which made him even more frustrated.

"Yeah. I thought we were Magnezone's go-to team for that sort of stuff. What happened to that?"

"Ah, yes… I apologize for the misunderstanding… You were, as you said, the best team, and, quite frankly, the entire police force's first pick when it came to outlaws."

"Who are you?" Connor decided to get straight to the point.

The Honchkrow chuckled and closed his binder of paper with a decisive thud. "That is on a need-to-know basis only, I'm afraid."

"I think this qualifies." Connor growled. "I've never heard of a pokémon above Magnezone in the police. And now, once I'm framed for releasing a ten-star rank outlaw, you show up out of nowhere. That raises more than a few questions, don't you think, Magnezone?"

"My, you're a sharp one…" the Honchkrow remarked with a respectful smile. "Yes, I made an exception. I normally limit myself to talking to particularly infamous outlaws after they've been apprehended, but once your name came up… I was… shocked. But I will say once more, you do not need to know who I am. I will be asking the questions from here on out. Understood? Here, you are a prisoner. An outlaw until proven innocent."

"I know I'm not the smartest pokémon in the world, but that sounds really backwards. Aren't we supposed to get a trial? Or a… warning, or something?" Connor questioned. He'd never really paid attention to this sort of stuff, since he'd never been on this end, but this just seemed cruel. No due process or anything?

"Not for assaulting four officers and freeing one of the three ten-star rank outlaws. If we went in accordance with the law, we could have you executed where you stand. But I realize that… in the light of this… unfortunate scenario, we cannot do that. Your assistance to the police force has persuaded nearly every officer that you are, as you say, framed. Do you have any arguments to support your claim?"

"I've been with what's left of my team for the past few weeks, staying on the run from a group of powerful outlaws led by a Bisharp named Mordred! He kidnapped Vulcan, and when we went to get him back, they slaughtered my team! And why in Arceus' name would I free an outlaw?!"

"I do not claim to know the answer. However, anyone is capable of breaking under pressure… Even you." he said. It almost sounded like a challenge. Almost like he was testing him. His eyes narrowed and a small smirk appeared on his beak, as if he were saying with his eyes, _Try me._

"It wasn't me, for Arceus' sake! A Ditto or a Zoroark could have done the exact same thing!"

The Honchkrow nodded grimly and looked at his binder. "I have already anticipated that possibility. I've examined the scene of the crime myself…" He tossed several picture-perfect paintings onto the ground in front of him. "I had a Smeargle in the police force paint exact replicas of what we saw. You used Ancient Power, and Rose used flamethrower, according to the footage captured. We found sections of the walls ripped out, and even more sections distorted and warped from what is indefinitely intense heat. They also match the location within the facility that the motion picture was shot. And on top of that, Zoroark and Ditto cannot use their abilities after passing through the barrier at the entrance. It negates all special abilities, as I'm sure you already know."

"Then how did we use our moves?" Connor tried to get this mystery pokémon to double guess himself, but he wasn't fazed in the slightest.

"I don't know. But the possibility of it being a Ditto or Zoroark is next to impossible. And four officers have melted skin, which is no illusion, and the video evidence was taken straight from the Magneton that took you into the prison. No modifications. It shows him leading you all directly through the barrier, which would have negated any illusions or transformation that would have otherwise been present."

"What if the Zoroark was casting an illusion that made the Magneton think that he was leading them through the barrier?"

"There is no other way into the prison. It is designed to be impenetrable by any organized attack."

Connor just stared at Magnezone incredulously. "Are you really going to buy this?"

Magnezone just floated there, not saying a word. The Honchkrow sighed and sat on the ground. "Alright, now here's what I wish to know… Where is Roy?"

"Roy?"

"Yes. A Mismagius on your team. We have sent operatives to locate all of your team members, and he is the only one that is not on our files."

"I don't know." Connor replied. He really had no idea where any of them were. And Roy had never made it obvious about where he was from, since he could have lived practically anywhere.

"Are you sure? Because we will not hesitate to have our psychics extract every piece of information from your head. We need to know where he is."

"Why? You're the one that ordered Magnezone to separate us all, weren't you?"

"...No. I received word of the event shortly after it happened. I had no influence over that decision." The Honchkrow replied. "However, I would have advised against removing your entire team of exploration status, as they probably had no idea of what you were doing."

"Is that why you need to find them all?"

The Honchkrow took a deep breath and glared at him. "...I wish to fix the issues that lie between us. That is all."

"...I don't know where any of them are. I'm not very good at remembering stuff to begin with. Sorry, but you're on your own." _Something is definitely off about him… What did I hear about a Honchkrow? Wait Aaron said something about a...!_ He nearly gasped out loud, but kept his solemn expression without flinching. The Honchkrow sighed and nodded slowly. "Very well. I'm so sorry about this, but you leave me no choice." Magnezone floated forward and shocked Connor so hard that he nearly passed out. Even though he was part ground-type, they could still shock him. That was new.

"I'll ask again… Where is Roy?" the Honchkrow pressed further.

"I don't know… And even if I did… I wouldn't tell you. I'm not going to sell out my team members, because they are innocent!"

"...As you wish." The Honchkrow sighed and turned to Magnezone. "I will take him from here, if that is alright. I have a more… efficient way of getting what I need to know."

*Zzzt! I cannot allow that. Zzzt!* Magnezone said defiantly.

"What? Why not?"

*Zzzt! He is to remain in our custody until we can prove any claims for and against him. Zzzt!*

"I have pictures and you have motion picture footage that matches up. He is without a doubt guilty of these crimes!" the Honchkrow snapped.

*Zzzt! I am aware of that. However, it is simply far too abnormal for me to make a decision this quickly. Connor's team has helped us with the apprehension of eighty-nine percent of the outlaws in our records. Zzzt! I will question him further, and make a decision accordingly. Thank you. Zzzt!*

The Honchkrow looked absolutely outraged, but he nodded once and left without another word.

After making sure the Honchkrow was completely gone, Magnezone levitated closer. *Zzzt! I apologize, Connor… I do not know that pokémon's name… Zzzt! But he holds enough wealth to persuade almost my entire police force to do as he says. Zzzt!*

"Why don't you just tell him to get lost? That's super illegal!"

*Zzzt! I am aware! And I do have several loyal officers that remain steadfast in this dark time. But we are not enough to fight the overwhelming percentage. I have told them to keep out of harms' way until I find a way to resolve this. Zzzt!*

"Just let me go, and I take care of the Honchkrow! Problem solved!" Connor replied.

*Zzzt! It is not that simple. I would have to escort you out, and most of the officers are under orders to not let you out of this room. Zzzt! If they see me, even if I tell them that it is per the Honchkrow's instruction, they will take me into custody as well, or have me executed. Zzzt!*

"That seems a bit extreme…"

*Zzzt! I am having trouble accepting that my officers would turn so easily… but I must remain here… to help in any way I can. Zzzt! I will inform you of one possible way of saving your team. Zzzt! The energy barriers are only for pokémon that were dishonorably discharged from an Exploration team. If another pokémon was to accept them onto their team…*

"They'd be able to get past the barriers…" Connor finished. "Wait, barriers? What are you talking about?"

Then Magnezone froze. It took Connor a moment to realize, but even his levitating was motionless. He was just… suspended in time, it seemed like.

"...Magnezone?"

"He can't hear you!" a familiar voice giggled. "I can't believe how much trouble they went through to arrest you!"

Connor teared up and smiled as a bright pink pokémon walked through the door to the interrogation room. "Wigglytuff?"

"Hiya! No time for talking right now; We have to get out of here!" he crushed the shackles on Connor's wrists with his tiny hands, and he smiled from ear to ear. "Oh my goodness, you're so much bigger than the last time I saw you! I remember when you were just a tiny Mudkip… It seems like just yesterday."

Connor practically dwarfed his former guildmaster when he stood up, but he picked the pink fluffball up off of the ground and gave him a massive hug. "Thank you…. Thank you..."

"No problem! I'll explain about the barriers when we're safe! Now follow me!"

 **-Roy-**

He sat patiently beneath the shade of a pine tree, waiting for the Delphox to return. He had felt Caroline's life energy spike, so he knew she was fine now, but Valerie still hadn't returned. Where was she?

"I'm back!" She proclaimed from within a small tornado of fire that sparked to life in front of him. "Sorry I took so long. I had to sort out a few issues."

"Alright… So what's next?"

"I have to rest for real. In the meantime… Try making semi-sentient shadow beings while you wait. It's actually easier than you'd think!"

"Semi… what? Like, they can think on their own?"

"Exactly! But not entirely! You still give them orders, but they can think outside of that order if it comes down to it! Just try and form a pokémon and make it talk." Valerie said.

"How do I do that?"

"I don't know! I'm not a ghost-type!" she sassed.

"I thought you were supposed to teach me..." Roy mumbled.

"And I will! But for now, just do what I say! And put your heart into it for the best results!"

Roy rolled his eyes and waved a shadowy hand at her. "Fine. Go rest. I want some real teaching soon. In case you forgot, my entire team is separated. I want to go help them as soon as possible."

She smiled smugly and strode back to her hut in the distance, and Roy sighed deeply, looking at the ground. "She's supposed to teach me… But she's done nothing so far. But she said to make a shadow pokémon… Let's start with that."

He focused on the shadow cast by the trees around him and condensed them into a single silhouette. A Gallade. He tilted his head and scrunched his eyebrows at the pitch-black mass of shadows. "You're not what I had in mind…"

He felt its obsidian eyes staring through him, sending chills across his spectral skin. And he never got chills.

"What are you…?" He half-whispered to himself. He dissipated the shadows across the forest and tried again, but the same Gallade appeared.

"Alright, fine. Gallade it is." Roy muttered. "So how do I make them talk…?"

He spoke to it through telepathy, but it was a black hole to psychic signals, absorbing his thoughts and sending nothing in return. He withdrew from the shock. He'd never been thoughtless before. That was a completely new feeling.

 _Oh. No psychic commands. Got it._

He cleared his throat and spoke as clearly as he could. "Are you sentient?"

It stood perfectly still without so much as a twitch, and Roy rolled his eyes with a scoff. "Tch. I knew it wouldn't work."

He stared at it further, trying to figure out how to make it think on its own. "Walk over to that tree." he commanded.

The shadow pokémon turned around and strode to the exact tree that Roy was looking at without skipping a beat. Then it turned and faced him again silently.

"Um… Can you shadow tra- never mind, you can't answer." he hummed quietly and looked around for inspiration. "Can you find a sitrus berry tree?"

The pokémon nodded and melted into shadows. Roy tilted his head and decided to follow it. When he phased into the shadow dimension, he was dragged by an invisible force until he came to the blue barrier that sent him flying back into the overworld. He sat up with a groan and stared at the shadowy Gallade as it materialized from the shadows in front of him.

"This is _not_ easy, Valerie!"

"I said it's easier than you'd think! I didn't say it was easy!" she replied with a laugh.

Roy glared at her as she leaned against the nearby coniferous tree, appearing out of nowhere like she always did. "That's like the same thing!"

"Oh my gosh! You already bonded with it!" She squealed excitedly.

"Huh?"

The Gallade stood straight up, and she walked right up to it. "It's already in sync with your emotions! This is perfect!"

Roy stared at her, completely baffled. "What are you talking about?"

"When you glared at me, it was about to attack me! Wow, you're a lot better than I thought! You're such a fast learner!" she laughed some more and poked the ground around the shadow pokémon. "It's not causing any negative side-effects to the plants around it… It's like a psychic black hole, but it's not that big of a deal. This is great! What did you tell it to do?"

"Find a sitrus berry tree. But it didn't work."

"Did you put your heart and soul into it?"

"I… guess-"

"Yes or no?"

"Yeah. Sure." Roy said.

"...It won't work unless you do that, Roy. Now I'm really off to take a nap. Have fun!" she smiled and waved as she turned around and walked away.

"Sure." Roy grumbled under his breath. "Have fun trying to get a shadow entity to talk… It's easy."

 **-Aaron-**

"So who are we looking for?" he finally asked. "I don't think any of them are in Treasure Town."

"We're here to ask around; Hopefully find something useful to aid us. The Mafia thinks that they are all separated, so we have to-" Leroy stopped mid-sentence and perked up. He paused briefly, then took off down the center road straight through Treasure Town. "Come quickly, Aaron!"

The Pikachu followed closely behind, and Leroy stopped at a cliffside comprised of hundreds of boulders and pebbles. It looked like the remains of a collapsed cave. Leroy dove straight down in between the rocks and called back up. "Get down here!"

Aaron squeezed between the cracks, oftentimes having to crawl with his stomach on the ground. "What did you hear?"

"This pokémon."

Aaron used flash to illuminate the dark chamber that was barely three feet across, and a small blue pokémon shielded its eyes and cried out. "No! Leave me alone! Please! I don't know any more… I promise…"

"Hey, we're not here to hurt you," Aaron said. "We're with Team Firestorm."

The little pokémon opened one eye and wiped its face with a sniffle. "Connor? And Vulcan?"

"Yeah. I'm a part of their team. Do you know them?"

The little blue pokémon nodded slowly, then pressed its hand against Aaron's chest. "What the-" his vision went black for a moment, and before he knew it, he was staring at… himself. He looked at his own hands, and they were bright blue. "What did you do?" his voice matched the little pokémon's perfectly, and his body replied, "I had to know if you were telling the truth. Sorry if you're uncomfortable."

"Switch me back!" he demanded.

"Alright." his vision went blurry, and before he knew it, he was staring at the little blue pokémon again.

"H-how did you do that?" he stammered.

"I used heart swap to switch our minds."

"Don't do it again please…" Then he took a deep breath. "So how do you know team firestorm?"

"Vulcan's my mom!"

Aaron tilted his head, making sure he heard right. "Did you say… mom?"

"Yup!"

"Don't you mean dad?"

"Dad…? No, that's Connor! Vulcan hatched me from my egg!"

"Well, then…" Leroy cleared his throat and extended his hand. "I've… I've never seen a pokémon like you. What are you, exactly?"

"Manaphy! That's my name!"

"Manaphy?"

"That's right!"

"Well, Manaphy, my apprentice and I are trying to save your family. They've all been separated and sent back to their dungeons of origin, as I'm sure you found out."

"They're all separated?!" Manaphy gasped and narrowed his eyes, seemingly in thought. "That's why I got sent back here!"

"Yes. However, if they are recruited into another exploration team, they can leave their place of origin. May you become a member of team Leroy for the time being? Just to ensure your safety, and allow you passage outside of this containment barrier?"

"Sure! But we have to find Vulcan!" Manaphy quickly said.

"Of course." Leroy promised. "We will find him as soon as possible. How quickly can you move on land?"

"Not that fast… I'm faster in water."

"Um… Can Aaron carry you?"

"What?" the Pikachu protested. "He's almost as big as me!"

"He's about half of your size," Leroy corrected.

"Whatever. I'll carry him, if that's what it takes."

Manaphy suddenly smiled. "Oh, I forgot! I can fly with psychic!"

Leroy's eyes widened. "Fly? Are you a psychic?"

"I can use psychic! It's like the same thing!" Manaphy smiled, and Leroy nodded. "Very well. Manaphy, you are now an honorary member of Team Leroy. I present to you this badge in commemoration."

A small golden badge shimmered into existence on Manaphy's chest, and he smiled even wider. "Thank you! I promise we'll repay you once this is all sorted out!"

The little pokémon's eyes began glowing white, and the stone chamber around them exploded outwards until they were in the center of a crater in the cliffside.  
"You're really strong." Aaron said.

"Thanks. I trained with Team Siren." Manaphy admitted. "A Slowking taught me to harness my psychic abilities."

"Why weren't you with Team Firestorm? You could probably hold your own in a fight." he observed.

"Vulcan wants me to stay safe. And right now the safest place for me is away from him."

"That… makes sense, actually." Aaron murmured as he looked at his mentor. "That's one down, I guess. How many more to go?"

Leroy took a deep breath and looked over the ocean in front of them. "As many as we can manage."

* * *

 **Bam! Chapter 9! Connor's free, Manaphy is found, and Roy is... being taught how to do things? As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**

 **If you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories, go ahead and post them in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	10. White Truths

**I honestly don't know what I'm doing when I think of these chapter names. :P**

* * *

 **-Chapter X: White Truths-**

 **-Mirage-**

The Noivern stumbled as the entire desert shifted beneath its feet. As it fumbled to regain its footing, the sand enveloped the Garchomp in the blink of an eye and sunk into the ground. The Noivern's eyes widened as it tried to take to the sky, but Mirage closed her fist, and the sand beneath the Noivern erupted and enveloped the dragon-type, then slammed it into the ground. The Ariados shot poisonous quills at her from behind, but the sand behind her swirled upwards and deflected the projectiles. Mirage turned to the Ariados and used flamethrower, but it leapt to the side and shot a sticky web. Mirage flew around it in the blink of an eye, then flew up to the Ariados after trapping it in rock-hard sandstone.

 _Would you like us to finish this?_ The desert's voice echoed in her mind.

"No." Mirage said. The Ariados' head cocked slightly sideways, and Mirage lit her fists ablaze. "I'll do it myself."

Then the Ariados vanished from the sandstone prison, and Mirage turned around just in time for it to use poison jab on the side of her neck. She gasped as the poison took effect, burning away at her throat. She tried to grab a pecha berry out of her bag, but her vision swirled more and more intensely in a matter of seconds. This poison was unlike anything else she'd ever felt. Acid burning away at her throat as she gasped desperately for breath.

Then the sand rose up around her and filled her wounds like a cast, enveloping her neck and arm. Then when it retreated, the wound had completely closed over, and Mirage felt the poison drawn out of her body. She stood up and grabbed the Ariados' neck, then flew straight upwards. It grabbed onto her body and wrapped its legs around her waist. "You won't drop me."

"Watch me!" Mirage spat. She punched the bug-type's face several times in rapid succession, then used flamethrower, forcing it to let go. Then it fell to the ground below. The sand beneath them hardened into sandstone, but just before the Ariados was flattened, she was caught by the Noivern.

"And stay away!" Mirage said as they retreated into the distance before she had a chance to fly after them. She lowered herself and untangled the Claydol, then unburied the Garchomp.

*That was impressive...* the Claydol said.

"Thanks. Do you have any reviver seeds?"

*Of course.* the Claydol's bag opened, and a single seed levitated through the air until it latched onto the Garchomp's chest. Shortly afterwards, his eyes shot open as he gasped for breath and coughed up sand. "Gah! Hah… Oh my gosh…" he took several more deep breaths and laid his head against the sand. "...I got my tail kicked, huh?"

"Yeah." Mirage said with a small smile. "But I took care of it."

"So you were going easy on me, huh?" the Garchomp chuckled. "I kinda thought so."

 _You're welcome._ She flinched as the voice rang out clearly, but nodded and looked into the distance silently. _Thank you._

 **-Widow-**

"What in Arceus' name was that?!" she raged. "She was supposed to be the lowest risk member to take down! How did she beat us?!"

"It looked like she just… controlled the desert," Flatline replied as they flew through the sky.

"I know!" she snapped at him. "I can't blame Victor for that one. We really underestimated her... But good job on eliminating the Garchomp." she said. "I couldn't have anticipated that she had help."

"Thanks."

"But how in the world can she control it? The entire desert just… responded to her command." Widow remarked. "This is very troublesome. As long as she's here… she's practically invincible, if that was any indication of what she can do."

"Why don't we get her out of here?" Flatline suggested. "Then she'll be easy to take out."

"Now why didn't I think of that?" her voice was filled with sarcasm as she slapped the back of his head. "Oh, yeah! The confinement barrier prevents us from doing that, you imbecile!"

"...Just a suggestion."

"Whatever! She is expecting us now, so we'll have to bide our time for just a little bit longer. So in the meantime… let's get Atlas."

 **-Bulbasaur-**

"Alice, get up!" he exclaimed as the Banette floated backwards and watched as the Lopunny writhed in agony, her eyes shut tightly. "Get! Up!" He grabbed her arms with vine whips and tried to lift her up, and even planted a worry seed on her, but it melted into shadows as the Banette floated closer. Her mouth came partially unzipped as she levitated inches away from Alice, and the Bulbasaur saw a light purple smoke emanating from the Lopunny.

His eyes widened as the smoke was being drawn into the Banette's mouth, and he instinctively used vine whip. He lassoed her arm, and she arched an eyebrow at him, appearing to be more surprised than hurt.

"Are you really that foolish?" she began, then grabbed his vine whip with her other hand. The pitch-black energy coming from her hand travelled down his vine whip like a pitch-black, slow-moving flame, and he began shaking uncontrollably as the darkness began setting in. The Banette's golden-zipper smile pierced his mind, and just before it faded, her face became one of shock. Then his vision returned, and a large, silver spike was jutting out of her chest, shadowy blood staining the grass beneath them a midnight-shade of purple. The Banette fell to the ground with a soft thud, and when the Bulbasaur looked up, all he saw was a blur of yellow and black before the Haxorus was down for the count, collapsed against the nearest tree with several puncture wounds across its arms and legs, and one in its chest.

The Seviper hissed and used poison tail, but it flew around his tail, grabbed the Klinklang and spun it so hard that the Seviper's attack pierced the steel-type's skin. They both shouted in pain, and the blur came to a complete stop. It turned Alice and fed her a green berry, then nodded briefly before looking at the Bulbasaur. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am." he replied to the female Beedrill. She seemed to smile before dodging a thunderbolt shot by the Klinklang. She sighed and pointed her stinger-arm at him, and the entire ground seemed to come to life. But when the Bulbasaur looked closer, it was actually hundreds of tiny creatures, no bigger than a centimeter each that were moving around so wildly that the ground itself seemed to come alive. When the Klinklang or Seviper tried to move, they were swarmed by the little bugs, and the Beedrill fluttered closer to them as the soil became still. "You know who I am, right?"

The Seviper spat acid at her, and she used protect for a brief moment, completely negating the attack. "I take that as a yes."

"Why are you here?" Nagini questioned.

"Why do you think?" The Beedrill hummed quizzically. "You have a large bounty on your head, Team Virus. And my client has offered me an extra twenty percent to off all four of you."

"Why not just kill us then?" Nagini retaliated. "You have us cornered, completely caught by surprise-"

The Beedrill let out a single laugh before shooting several pin needles into the poison-type's side. He shouted in pain as the Beedrill examined him with fake pity, not bothering to take any of the spikes out. "Because I said I wouldn't kill you unless they offered me a lot more. But it's good enough for me to bring you all in to Magnezone."

"Magnezone won't do anything!" Alice called out Beedrill squinted and turned back to her. "What?"

"The Mafia… the group that they work for… They bought out the police. They arrested the leader of Team Firestorm after the Mafia framed him!" Alice sat up slowly and rubbed her forehead.

"...How do you know that?" the Beedrill questioned. The Seviper writhed and groaned, and the Beedrill shot another quill into its side with a glare. "Shut it, snake."

"Because I saw it happen! I was in Treasure Town, and the Police have been bribed! If you bring these four to them… then they're as good as free." Alice informed her.

"And I'm supposed to just… take your word for it?" the Beedrill asked.

"Yes! The one who was arrested… he was a really good friend of mine!" she assured.

"...You know what?" the Beedrill raised her spike-hand, and the Seviper passed out immediately afterwards. "Fine. If Magnezone really is bought out like you say, then that explains everything that's been going on recently." She created two substitute clones that picked up the poison-type while the original looked at the Bulbasaur. "Well? Can you carry the Banette?"

"Didn't you…" the Bulbasaur gawked as the ghost-type laid there, passed out on the ground.

"Of course not. Ghost-types can't be brought down by physical attacks like that. Now carry her, please. We're leaving." the Beedrill glanced at Alice, then fluttered closer. "Can you carry a Haxorus? The Lum berry I gave you should have cured all of your ailments."

"Not by myself," she admitted. The Beedrill sighed and created four more substitute clones that grabbed each of the dragon-type's limbs. Alice's jaw dropped as she observed the four clones working in unison. "How…? Vulcan can only make three substitutes before he passes out!"

"Then he hasn't learned how to apply a smaller amount of energy into each clone. With the proper training, any pokémon could theoretically make around twenty clones at one time, each one capable of attacking individually, all by portioning the energy put into each one."

"That's incredible!"

"I know. You can at least carry a Klinklang, right?"

"Why can't you carry them all?" Alice wondered aloud. "If you had intentions of taking them down, how did you plan on bringing them to Magnezone?"  
The Beedrill flashed a golden badge underneath the leather flap of its treasure bag. "Explorer's' badge." the Beedrill muttered. "One of the only useful things about Exploration Teams."

"Hey!" Alice retaliated. "Exploration teams help people!"

"Hmph. How? They explore new dungeons? They _arrest outlaws_?" The Beedrill mocked. "The only team that actually did anything about the outlaw problem was Team Firestorm." she said. "And even they didn't have the guts to take down the Mafia."

Alice teared up and shook her head defiantly. "That's not true!"

"And why do you think that?" the Beedrill crossed her needle-like arms and hovered in place.

"We have been fighting for our lives for the past two weeks, staying on the run, trying to figure out how to take them down! We've already lost three team members, and probably more by now!"

The Beedrill lightly gasped, but didn't change her neutral expression. "You're part of Team Firestorm?"

"Yes! And we fight every day to try and make a difference for pokémon that can't do it themselves!" Alice shouted at her.

The Haxorus stirred and groaned weakly, and the Beedrill stabbed its chest again with her stinger arm. "You help weaker pokémon. Good for you. But how can you help others when you can't even help yourselves?"

"What do you mean?" Alice voice had a dangerous edge to it.

"Without me to help you, you'd be dead."

"So?"

"Did you attack with the intent to kill?"

"Not exactly…" Alice shook her head. "I don't really like fighting anyways! I only do it in self-defense!"

"That's your first mistake. With the Mafia… They don't show mercy. That's why I'm after them, and not worrying about every little thing that pops up on the outlaw notice board. Like… for example, let's say pokémon stole a berry from a Sentret. That's beneath my concern."

"So you're too good to help the small pokémon out?"

"No. I'm saying that when I have to choose between helping a single pokémon get back a berry that they can just as easily buy at Kecleon's shop and taking down a group of pokémon that have relentlessly slaughtered three villages all across Immanis and are responsible for more murders than I can count… Well, that's a no-brainer. The bounty on their heads is enough to have me set for multiple lifetimes. But that's just a bonus for doing the right thing."

"Who's providing that payment? The Police aren't, and we're kind of running for our lives right now. Who else has that much poké?"

"That doesn't matter. There are only two things I need to take a job: a target, and visual confirmation of payment."

Alice stared at the Bug-type while she made two more substitutes to help carry Nagini, totalling nine Beedrills fluttering around. "So you're an assassin?"

"A mercenary for hire." she hummed. "I arrest outlaws too, so don't worry. We're on the same side, as long as you don't get in my way," the Beedrill informed her.

"Oh."

"Now, if you're done asking questions… Since you're here, I want you to help me carry them."

"Fine." Alice huffed. "Where are we going?"

"Away from here. I don't want to be around when their backup arrives."

"How do you know that they'll have backup?"

"It's common sense! Now be quiet and move!" the Beedrill buzzed angrily.

 **-Vincent-**

He opened his eyes when he heard talking. He was still invisible, but he didn't know how well it would work if they stumbled over him. He had finished healing well enough, so he withdrew his roots silently.

"Over here! I think I found something!" he heard in the distance.

 _They probably see the trench I made…_ He sat up quickly, making sure to stay invisible as a Simisage and Ferrothorn swiftly made their way over to where he was.

"Oh, man…" the Simisage gasped. "Looks like he might've tried to break the barrier or something… Look around! He can't be that far!"

The Ferroseed crackled with electricity before levitating and vanishing into the forest. Vincent smiled and walked right up to the Simisage, making sure to stay silent. He quieted his breathing as the grass-type turned around and looked directly at him. Vincent held back a small shout and used dark void. A violet and crimson orb of energy formed in his hands, and the Simisage's eyes widened. "Over here! Hurry!"

Vincent cursed and became visible as he shot the orb into the Simisage's chest, and it collapsed to the ground, sound asleep. He heard a brief rustling sound behind him and turned just in time to recieve a power whip to his chest. He felt his entire skeleton shift from the impact, and the freshly healed ribs snap again. He screamed in agony and laid there helplessly as the Ferrothorn closed in while feeding the Simisage a Lum Berry with another vine whip. "I'm not taking any chances with you."

A red orb of energy formed between them, and Vincent knew all too well what was coming next. He sighed and laid his head on the ground, then closed his eyes with a sad smile, not even having enough energy to put up a light screen, let alone a protect barrier. "I'm sorry, guys…"

He was only in pain for a brief moment as the Hyper Beam obliterated his entire body. Then, nothing.

* * *

 **That was chapter 10. I hope you guys enjoyed! As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about things, feel free to leave them in the form of a review or PM! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	11. Temporal Intervention

**-Chapter XI: Temporal Intervention-**

 **-Victor-**

"Of course…" he mumbled. "The Assassins can't even take down Mirage… Is this really that hard? Team Firestorm should have been brought down weeks ago. And Magnezone refused to even let me take Connor! I shouldn't have let him lead the investigation against them!"

He paced down the hallway on his way to his vault, and he stopped as a slight twinkle caught his eye. He moved closer to the statue of Valerie the Delphox and noticed a small badge on its dress "Hm? What's this…? It's not Team Firestorm…" He plucked it off with his beak, and a deeper female voice playfully resonated from behind him. "You know, I look much better in person. I'm not really feeling the whole 'stone statue' thing."

He turned and used dark pulse, firing a wave of pure malevolent thought from his beak, but the Delphox deflected it with her wand and smiled warmly. "Now, now, Victor… That's no way to treat an old friend!"

"How are you here?" he demanded.

"Oh… I kind of snuck in. It wasn't that hard, really. A simple concealing spell did the trick."

"Are you here to kill me?"

Then she laughed. It was a soothing sound, even in spite of the situation. "Victor, honey… If I wanted you dead… then you would have been a long time ago."

"Then what do you want?"

"I have a request to make. And given the fact that I made sure no-one would interrupt our little chat, you should probably listen."

"Is this about the attack at Malamar's Tavern?" he asked warily. The silver-skinned Delphox rolled her eyes and groaned. "I must've missed one… Whatever! No! I'm here because I'm going to threaten you."

"...Alright…" Victor decided to play along. As much as he loathed bending to this pokémon's will, she had single handedly gotten into the most secure room in the entire base without raising a single alarm.

"First of all, take down that disgusting statue of me. I don't care if it's the 'secret switch' to your little hoard of poké." she sassed.

"How do you-"

"I know _almost_ everything, dear. It comes with being who I am." she winked and twirled her wand in between her fingers. "Next proposition! You tell your bodyguard to leave the room before I turn him into ash!"

Victor snarled quietly, but called out to the third pokémon in the room. "Leave us."

"Master Victor!" Mordred exclaimed under the effects of the vanish orb. "I will not-!"

"Do not tell anyone about this," Victor ordered. "Understood? And do not return until I tell you otherwise."

"...Yes, master." Mordred's footsteps retreated, and the steel-type became visible just as he opened the door to the great hall and left their presence.

Valerie closed her eyes and smiled. "You seem angry."

"Very." Victor replied with a straight face.

"Good! So, on to my next request. Where's that Chandelure that I've been reading so much about?"

"I don't know." Victor replied. "He's been looking for a member of Team Firestorm."

Her eyes lit up and her shoulders tensed. Her whole demeanor changed in that very instant. "Oh. Well, this has been fun… Um… I'll be back. And don't tell anyone about our little get-together. Otherwise you _will_ die. And I'll be sure to make it painful!"

Victor scowled, but shrugged. "Fine. You have my word."

"Thanks, Vic! Ta-ta~!" she vanished in a tornado of fire, and once it died down, Victor fired a dark pulse at the wall while shouting with absolute rage. "GAH! Nagini told me she was taken care of!"

He growled and stared at the statue of the Delphox, then used steel wing to slice it in half. The top half of the stone silhouette slid diagonally downwards and shattered into thousands of tiny shards of grey stone when it hit the ground. He snarled and blasted apart the base of the statue with psychic, then looked to the ground in disgust. He had never lost control of his emotions like that before. He had to reign it in.

He swiftly composed himself, took several deep breaths until his breathing was steady, then flew to the entrance of the great hall. When he opened the door, Mordred was patiently standing guard just outside. Victor put on a forced smile, and Mordred scowled. "She is gone?"

"Yes. And I think Soulburner might be met with some… new opposition." Victor grumbled.

 **-Connor-**

"In here." Wigglytuff quickly darted into the guild's front gate, and Connor followed closely behind while under the effects of a vanish orb.

"Stay quiet until we reach my room." the pink fluffball whispered. Connor nodded silently, and Wigglytuff shrugged. "I can't see you, so I'll just assume you can hear me."

Shortly afterwards, they entered the third sub-section of the Guild. Connor didn't pay attention to any of the new recruits, as Wigglytuff was too busy pushing him forward until the Guildmaster pushed open the doors to his chamber. Once they were both in the room, he closed the door and smiled. "Welcome home, friend!"  
"Wigglytuff…" Connor began as the vanish orb wore off.

"I know, I know… What took me so long?" he replied with a grin. "Well, it took a while to find the prison, since I didn't even know where it was, but-"

"How did you do that?" Connor blurt out.

"Huh?"

"You… froze the entire prison. Magnezone just stopped moving, and there were no alarms raised the entire time! I didn't even see any guards trying to stop us!"

"Ooooh. You want to know how I did it!" he smiled skittishly and laughed. "Heh. I'm kind of a… uh…. a Temporal Guardian?"

It took a minute for that to sink in. "You're a…" he sat down while his mind caught up. "You're one of them?"

"I'm sorry for not telling any of you… But I had to keep it a secret." Wigglytuff murmured. "Because you're my friends… And I had to make sure that you fixed the future without knowing what I was."

"How did you…" Connor tried to find the right words, but he was too shocked to say anything.

"I'll explain everything. You have a right to know." Wigglytuff began. "I'll give you the short version. When I was growing up… I was an exploration prodigy. I don't mean to brag, but I was. I found countless hoards of treasure and dungeons with dangerous enemies... I worked with team charm for a while up until about thirty years ago, when I met Chatot. He convinced me to become an explorer, rather than a treasure hunter. Then we heard rumors of a strange inscription in Brine Cave. You can guess what happened there."

"Yeah… The Kabutops and Omastar attacked you?"

"Yup." Wigglytuff nodded slowly. "I didn't see them in time. They were already on top of me before I knew what was happening. Then… Chatot shielded me from their attacks. I sent them packing right afterwards… But we were out of items. We had no reviver seeds, no oran berries… And Chatot was dying. I had no idea what to do. I picked him up and carried him to the deepest part of the cave, where the cove overlooked the sea. I shouted for help, because our exploration badges didn't work that far down. Then… she heard me."

"She?"

"Lapras. She was a Temporal Guardian long before I was. She showed up just as I had lost hope. She gave Chatot a single oran berry, which saved his life. Then she stared at me… And I knew. I knew that I had to go with her."

"You left Chatot?" Connor softly exclaimed.

"Of course not! He's my best friend!" Wigglytuff replied. "I brought him with us. Lapras said that she knew a place where we could heal, so I couldn't refuse. I carried Chatot, making sure not to leave his side the entire journey. We travelled across the Sea of Time… Into the Hidden Land, and she gave me a single reviver seed. I placed it on Chatot's chest, and I remember so clearly… the look of fear in his eyes as they shot open." Wigglytuff sniffled and wiped his face, but continued. "Then… Lapras said that she wanted to bring me to her master. I did so without hesitation. She had saved my best friend's life, so I readily listened to her. She flew across the clouds… and when we came to the Pinnacle of Temporal Tower, I met Dialga. His very presence warped time itself. I felt as though I had aged hundreds of years just by standing in front of him."

 ***Wigglytuff Flashback***

"WIGGLYTUFF… I HAVE BEEN OBSERVING YOU FOR A LONG WHILE NOW."

"Me? What did I do?"

"YOU HAVE CAPTURED THE ATTENTION OF THE TEMPORAL GUARDIANS. LAPRAS HAS TOLD ME OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS, AND THE PURITY OF YOUR HEART."

"Th-thank you." he murmured. "You're Dialga?"

"YES. I AM THE FIRSTBORN SON OF ARCEUS."

"Wow…"

The temporal pokémon regarded him with a small smirk before nodding his head decisively. "LAPRAS, I HAVE MADE MY CHOICE. WIGGLYTUFF, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER YOU A GIFT. SHOULD YOU ACCEPT MY OFFER, YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THIS ERA ALONGSIDE LAPRAS-"

"What about Chatot?" he asked.

"NOT TO WORRY. YOUR FRIEND WILL BE ALRIGHT." Dialga said before continuing. "...ALONGSIDE LAPRAS, YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE FLOW OF TIME IN THIS ERA. YOU WILL BE GRANTED PARTIAL IMMORTALITY AND THE ABILITY TO MANIPULATE TIME ITSELF AS THE ELEVENTH TEMPORAL GUARDIAN. DO YOU ACCEPT?"

"...So… I can be with my friends forever?" he said hopefully.

"...NO. THEY ARE NOT IMMORTAL."

"Oh. So… I get to live forever? But my friends don't?"

"YES."

"Then I don't want it!" he exclaimed. "I don't want to live without my friends!"

The steel dragon's eyes narrowed as he attempted to understand this pokémon's thinking process. "YOU… DON'T WANT IT."

"Wigglytuff." a familiar voice sung from behind him. He turned and grinned from ear to ear. "Chatot!"

He ran forward and pulled the flying-type into a hug, but Chatot lightly pushed him off after a moment. "I'm alright. But you should accept what Dialga has offered."

"Why? I can't live without you, Chatot! Or Team Charm, or… or…" he began crying, and Chatot gently hugged him while looking at the Temporal Lord. "Lord Dialga… You are awe-inspiring."

"THANK YOU. I… AM MOVED BY WIGGLYTUFF'S DEVOTION TO YOU."

"It's just how he is." Chatot affirmed. "Wigglytuff, you need to listen to him. Stop thinking about others just this once."

"But… If I do… then I'll have to live without you when you…" he cried again, and Chatot smiled warmly and pat his back with his wing. "Wigglytuff… Listen to me. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. To meet a son of Arceus, then get offered something of this magnitude? You'd be a fool to pass it up."

"But Chatot-"

"But nothing. You need to do this."

"Okay…" Wigglytuff turned back to the towering Dragon-type and nodded once. "What do I have to do?"

Dialga smiled warmly as he looked at Wigglytuff. "IN THE NEAR FUTURE… THERE WILL BE A POKÉMON THAT ATTACKS THIS PLACE. I CANNOT PREVENT IT. HE WILL DESTROY TEMPORAL TOWER, AND CAUSE A FUTURE OF DARKNESS FOR ALL OF THOSE LIVING IN THIS TIMELINE. HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE TWO POKÉMON. A MUDKIP AND A CHARMANDER. YOU MUST MAKE A GUILD ATOP THE HILL ON THE EASTERN OUTSKIRTS OF TREASURE TOWN TO TRAIN EXPLORERS. MANY, MANY POKÉMON WILL COME FROM FAR AND WIDE TO APPRENTICE BENEATH YOU AND CHATOT. EVENTUALLY… THESE POKÉMON WILL COME. THE MUDKIP WILL BE A HUMAN FROM THE FUTURE OF DARKNESS THAT HAS LOST HIS MEMORIES. IT WILL BE YOUR DUTY TO PREPARE THEM FOR ANY TRIALS THAT THEY WILL FACE. WHEN I BESTOW MY POWER UNTO YOU, YOU WILL RECIEVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN THIS TIMELINE. DO YOU STILL WISH TO PROCEED?"

Wigglytuff looked back at Chatot, who ushered him with his wings, before nodding in confirmation. "Yup!"

"VERY WELL. ARCEUS, SEE ME AS I BESTOW THE GIFT OF IMMORTALITY UPON THIS POKÉMON, AND BLESS MY DECISION."

The legendary dragon's chest diamond flashed white, and Wigglytuff felt a strange power filling him. His mind was filled with images and sounds of multiple things at once. A Pikachu and an Eevee, a Chikorita and a Mudkip, a Riolu and a Meowth… All of them at once, doing the exact same things. They were being chased by… something. He saw everything that had ever happened. His mind was overflowing with new sounds every millisecond. He felt as though he'd been standing there a thousand years. When he looked over the hidden land once the visions stopped, he saw the outline of a pitch-black pokemon rapidly closing in on the tower. Dialga sighed and stepped forward, almost off of Temporal Tower. "THIS IS A TEMPORAL ECHO… A VISION OF THE FUTURE."

"Who is that?"

"THE ONE THAT WILL DESTROY TEMPORAL TOWER. HIS NAME IS DARKRAI."

"What?!" Wigglytuff exclaimed. Chatot stood silently in awe of what was transpiring. Wigglytuff watched the translucent image of the pitch-black pokémon fire a hyper beam into the tower, imploding it from the inside out. He saw another pokémon running across the stone walkway hundreds of feet beneath them, firing beams of pure black energy at the countless Claydol, Porygon-z and Porygon2 that swarmed to defend the tower. Wigglytuff scrunched his eyebrows as the energy sailed past him. "Not a pokémon move…"

Dialga nodded silently as the events unfurled before their eyes. The pitch-black pokémon fired a ball of crimson energy directly at a shimmering ghost-like Dialga. When it struck the legendary dragon's chest, he winced and fell to the ground with a heavy thud. He began shuddering, then vanished as the pokémon fired another hyper beam into the tower.

"Dialga, what's happening?!" Wigglytuff cried out.

"HE HAS FINISHED THE TEMPORAL DEMISE. THE PLANET'S PARALYSIS IS IMMINENT." Dialga's voice echoed. "YOU MUST TRAIN THE GREAT HEROES… A MUDKIP AND A CHARMANDER. TREAT THEM AS YOU WOULD ANY OTHER. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO RESTORE THE BROKEN FUTURE. THAT IS YOUR ASSIGNED DUTY."

Wigglytuff's mind was flooded with images of a tent atop a hill, with all sorts of different pokémon in an underground room that still somehow had light. But no Mudkip and Charmander. "...Dialga, I don't see them!"

"THOSE ARE THE OTHER REALITIES ON THE TEMPORAL TREE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF REALITIES ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE ONE IN WHICH WE RESIDE. HOWEVER, YOUR FOCUS IS HERE, IN THIS TIME."

"Y-Yes, sir." Wigglytuff nodded slowly, then turned around, and with a huge sigh of mental exhaustion, instantly passed out and fell face-first onto the Temporal Pinnacle.

 ***Reality***

"So… That was kind of… epic. You saw all of the futures and pasts and stuff?" Connor asked with a hint of excitement. "And different realities?"

"Yup! Then I got to meet all of the other Temporal Guardians! It was kind of weird knowing that this reality's Grovyle would become the twelfth after he went back to the future, but it wasn't that hard to play along." he smiled warmly and continued. "But me being your guildmaster wasn't an act! Not at all! I love each and every one of you! Every apprentice! You're all my friends! And it makes me sad to watch you all grow up and leave… But it's nice at the same time."

"So would you have built the guild if you didn't become a Temporal Guardian?"

"I was already thinking about it at the time, so of course! This was about seventy years ago. It took a long time to get Treasure Town the way it is now." Wigglytuff informed him.

"Seventy years? That's a long time… We've only been Team Firestorm for three years, maybe!" Connor replied. "And… Chatot knows about you?"

A knock on the door immediately silenced their conversation, and Wigglytuff gave him a Vanish Orb after nodding briefly in confirmation. "Stay quiet."

"Guildmaster! It's Chatot! I'm coming in!" Chatot's voice rang out. Connor crushed the orb, and Wigglytuff sat down with a smile as his best friend walked into the room.  
"Hiya, Chatot!"

"...Was there someone else in here?" Chatot asked warily. "I could've sworn I heard talking."

"...Close the door." Wigglytuff said. Chatot complied, and Wigglytuff's eyes flashed white. The flames from the torches froze in place around them, and Connor's vanish orb wore off. Chatot's eyes widened as he rapidly looked back and forth between them. "Guildmaster-?! Connor…?!"

"Hi, Chatot…" he waved sheepishly, and Chatot teared up with a smile. "Wh-what happened to you all?!" the flying-type flew at him and slapped the back of his head with an angry glare. "You didn't think to come to us?! The Temporal Guardians told us that you were being hunted down, and within the hour we received news of your arrest! What is going on?!"

"Wigglytuff didn't tell you?" Connor asked.

"I only know what Dialga knows," the Guildmaster replied. "And he doesn't know how your team vanishes. I'm in the dark on this."

"...We're being hunted by a group of Pokémon… called the Mafia."

Chatot placed a wing on his chin, then shook his head slowly. "...You'll have to be more specific. There are all sorts of gangs across Immanis-"

"They are literally called the Mafia, and they are led by a Honchkrow and a Bisharp! They framed me for releasing a ten-star rank outlaw from Magnezone's maximum security prison, probably using a Zoroark or Ditto. I was put in jail, and since I was the leader, they banished the rest of my team to their dungeons of origin, saying that they were guilty by association."

"...So this… Mafia can pick you off one by one…" Chatot finished. "And the Temporal Guardians are powerless to stop them…"

"What? Why?"

"The fabric of time is paper-thin right now. More than half of the Temporal Guardians are here, and several of them have bent time on more than one occasion." Wigglytuff said. "Dialga is really, really upset about it. It'll take at least a year to reinforce it. And that's if all of the Temporal Guardians step in to help."

"What happens if the time fabric breaks?"

"Well… Imagine all of the alternate realities in existence colliding. Briar showed you the Temporal Tree, right? You saw how many there were."

"Yeah… But how do realities collide? They aren't… physical things." Connor mumbled in an attempt to comprehend what they were talking about.

"If any two realities collide through a breach in the temporal fabric… The resulting ripple created in the space-time continuum could eradicate the entire temporal tree. And that means that Arceus would be the only thing in existence. Everything we've worked to create for as long as time has existed… will vanish. All of us, all of the sons of Arceus… Everything."

"Oh. That's not good."

"I agree a hundred percent! That's why we exist. Even now, freezing time in this moment… I could get in serious trouble. The only reason I can do this is because this is my era to protect."

"So the Temporal Guardians protect the fabric of time?"

"That's our purpose." Wigglytuff agreed. "And to ensure that no pokémon from different realities cross into other worlds."

"What happens if two pokémon are from separate realities?"

"Pretty much the same thing… Unless their existence was nullified in that timeline, and they were redirected to live in this reality by Dialga or another being with Temporal Control."

"Oh. But... aren't alternate realities Palkia's thing? With space and all that?"

"Alternate timelines are Dialga's duty. Palkia protects the different worlds from crossing into each other. Terra, Varius and Concordia. Y'know, the three worlds."

"Yeah, I know about them... But it seems like Dialga has a lot more to deal with. Aren't the roles divided sort of evenly?"

"Yup! Palkia's job only sounds easy, but it's just as difficult!"

"Alright, I'm going to stop asking questions right now. We need to make a plan."

"Agreed! Chatot?"

"Yes, Guildmaster! We must formulate a plan to rescue the rest of his team!"

Wigglytuff let out an elongated breath and smiled wistfully. "This is so exciting. For the first time since I was chosen... I don't know what's going to happen next."

* * *

 **Ooooh snap! That was chapter 11! I hope you guys enjoyed! As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen, feel free to leave them in the form of a review or PM! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	12. Through Death I See

**-Chapter XII: Through Death I See-**

 **-Roy-**

"Alright, one more time…" Roy rolled his head back as he created the Shadow Gallade once again. He lightly cut himself on a tree branch that was blown by a gust of wind, and several drops of shadowy blood dripped to the ground. "How in the world did I get cut by a tree?" he wondered aloud. "Whatever. A little shadow healing-"

" _Ought to heal it."_

Roy's eyes shot open as he heard a deep yet soft voice echo in his mind. "...Did you…"

" _I finished the sentence, right?"_

He laughed with surprise as the shadow Gallade that materialized slowly waved at him. "You can talk now?"

It nodded in confirmation, and Roy raked his mind, trying to figure out what he did differently. "I made you forty-seven times… How are you different this time?"

" _I'm a part of you. You put your soul into creating me."_ it murmured.

"My soul…? I mean, my blood did fall into the… Oh! That's what she meant!" Roy mentally facepalmed and smiled at himself. "I'm a moron… I have to literally put a part of myself into you."

"Ha-ha! Found you!" with a blast of purple fire, Roy's shadow being was evaporated. He gasped in pain and teleported to the side of the searing flames. "You found me fast…" he cursed as a familiar Chandelure appeared about twenty feet away.

"It wasn't that hard, Roy! When you weren't where you died, I just had to feel for disturbances in the shadow realm. Summoning shadow entities is old-school, and so easy to track! I'm amazed you even thought of that!" the Chandelure cackled.

"I've picked up a few tricks in the past few days," Roy warned. "You'd do well to leave me alone."

"Is that a threat?" Soulburner snickered.

"No. It's a promise." Roy countered.

"Oh. That would be intimidating, if you were… well, intimidating!" the Chandelure mocked. "Go ahead, I'll let you land the first hit."

"...Yeah, that's not happening." Roy replied.

Soulburner frowned and crossed two of his arms. "Aw, that's no fun!" then he vanished in a flash of light. The real soulburner swung through the trees above them and mockingly laughed. "Fine. If you won't play my game, then I'll just have to change the rules! For glory 1 v. 1 it is! No items!"

Before Roy could come up with a response, four Chandelure surrounded him on all sides, each one charging a fire blast. "Which one am I?" they all asked in unison.  
"None of them!" Roy let loose a power gem attack, sending fragments of stone in all directions, and the double team illusions vanished. The real Chandelure shouted in pain from above him, and Roy used a move that Electivire taught him while they were in Treasure Town yesterday. Nothing felt any different afterwards, but Soulburner flinched, meaning that the attack worked. Roy silently prayed to Arceus that he was right as Soulburner floated at an even level with him. Roy used dark pulse, but the Chandelure negated it with a wave of violet flames. Roy teleported to the side as the flames incinerated several trees behind them, and a new voice called out. "What is going on here?"

"Valerie!" Roy gasped. "Run!"

"...Are you talking to me?" the Delphox asked. "I don't think you know who you're talking to- oh, hello." She smiled and waved as Soulburner turned to face her.

"Who are you?"

"I'm this Mismagius' teacher." she replied.

"Teacher? You're teaching a ghost-type?"

"I'll admit, it can be a bit difficult at times, but I'm making it work." she twirled her wand, and a symbol comprised of fire appeared in midair. "You burned my forest, you know. I don't take kindly to that."

"What are you going to do?" Soulburner mocked. "Fight me with fire? I'm immune to flames!"

"Not anymore." Valerie smiled, and Roy held back a smirk. Soulburner lit a small fireball directly in front of him and gasped after a moment. "...Oh, no."

"Oh, yes." Valerie shot a heat wave at the ghost-type that charred his skin and sent him crashing to the ground. Roy sighed with relief as Valerie held her wand to the Ghost-type's body. "So what should we do with you? Obviously Magnezone isn't equipped to hold you… I'm thinking banishment to the Distortion World."

"No… Please…" the Chandelure croaked. "I can't go there… I'd-"

"You'd get what you deserve, I'm sure." Valerie interjected. Then she dropped her guard entirely and sighed heavily.

"What are you doing?" Roy stammered.

"He got away." Valerie muttered. "I should've seen it coming." then the Chandelure lying on the ground disappeared in a flash of light shortly afterwards.

Valerie sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "...Well, that was fun! Excellent work, using skill swap to negate his immunity to flames!" she pat Roy's back with a smile, and Roy shrugged. "I didn't know if it would work, but it did."

"Of course it would work! Besides... I'm glad that you finally understand what I mean by 'put your heart into it'!"

"You could have just said 'put a few drops of blood into it'." Roy deadpanned.

"Blood isn't necessary. You can transfer a bit of your soul into things without actually bringing any harm to yourself." Valerie informed him. "But that works too. That's how the beginners do it." Then she glanced at her wrist and cursed quietly. "For Arceus' sake... Really? Now?" she groaned and dropped her shoulders.

"What?" Roy tilted his head as Valerie shrugged. "I've got an important meeting with important pokémon. I'll be back soon. Very well-done, and keep up the good work! Be creative with what you want to do next!"

"...Will do." Roy sighed as she was enveloped in a tornado of fire that disappeared moments later.

 **-Jade-**

They rematerialized in the middle of a dense coniferous forest. The shadows around them rolled off of their heads, staining the snow-covered ground pitch-black.

"Mother… Where are we?" Jade asked softly.

"I… I don't know." she remarked. "This part of the forest is unfamiliar to me."

"Why did you transport us to an unknown part of the forest?"

"I didn't. Something else brought us here."

"Like what?"

"...I'm not sure."

Jade slowly floated forward, then ran face-first into a massive stone pillar that wasn't there a second before. As she floated backwards, the stone pillar seemed to expand and contort until it was an entire temple.

Hazel floated forward, but Jade shook her head slowly. "Don't go in… We don't know what's in there."

"It will provide shelter. And it wasn't there a moment ago. I doubt that you can see it unless someone touches it." Hazel replied sternly. "It will keep us hidden."

Jade stared in awe at the massive stone temple with ice-covered vines hanging from the walls. There were intricately carved patterns on the stairs that led to an arched stone entrance that was, at a bare minimum, fifteen feet tall, and probably ten feet across. And the roof went up another ten feet above that.

"I don't sense any life within its walls." Hazel said. Jade reached out with her spectral senses to confirm it. Hers weren't as refined as Roy's, but she could sense life.

"Alright. Be careful." she warned.

As they floated forward, inches above the stone, Jade glanced at the rails along the stairs. She narrowed her eyes and nodded slowly. "There are traps in this place. If we touch the ground, I don't know what might happen."

"Iris, it's fine." Hazel replied with a loving smile. Then Jade flinched as a small, nearly invisible wire was tugged by her forehead. She gasped and tackled her mother after hearing a single clicking noise. "Phase into shadows!"

They fell into the shadow realm, and Jade felt the earth above them rattle as the front half of the temple collapsed into a pile of rubble. She phased her head out of a tree about thirty feet away from the edge of the ruins after the quaking had ceased and looked around warily.

 _That probably got the attention of anyone in the forest._ She thought with disgust. _I should have trusted my instincts. Temples are always riddled with traps._

"What is that?" Hazel asked from the shadow realm.

"What is…" she stayed quiet as two beings climbed from the remains of the temple. They were the same color as the stone, so it was hard to discern what kind of pokémon they were, even from thirty feet away, but they looked at each other briefly before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"I don't know… But I don't want to be here when they come back." she finally said. "Let's go."

She looked around once more, then noticed a thick white fog rolling across the ground. Much too quickly to be natural. "...We need to run. Now!"

She phased into shadows, but was instantly knocked back into the overworld by a malevolent force unlike any she had ever felt.

"You cannot run from US!" multiple voices said at once. "We will ANNIHILATE you!" Jade fired a shadow ball at the purple fog-like pokémon, but it transformed into smoke and enveloped her. She began shuddering uncontrollably as the Spiritomb's ghastly form took possession of her body. She floated upright against her will, and faced the Houndoom that was chasing them earlier.

"Hello, Jade…"

She stayed silent at first, but she could feel the Spiritomb inside of her. If she didn't comply with this Houndoom, she would die.

 _Where's Hazel?!_

She tried to look around, but the Houndoom bit her arm with fire fang. She screamed in pain, but was cut short as the Spiritomb tightened its grip on her throat. "We are GLAD that you brought US to bring her down. This is FUN."

"Thanks, love… But she's ours now. You're dismissed." the female Houndoom hummed as a Typhlosion and Talonflame emerged from the fog.

"So be it. We will return HOME now." Jade felt the razor-sharp souls withdraw from her body, and the Houndoom notioned with her eyes for the Typhlosion to grab her. She landed on the ground, weakened and exhausted from the Spiritomb, and the Typhlosion grabbed her arms and pinned her to the ground.

"Your death will suffice… Yes, it will do nicely!" the Houndoom smirked and planted a paw on Jade's chest. "I'll admit, you ran for quite a while… But I'm the best tracker in the Mafia. It was only a matter of time before I found you again. And these ruins certainly got my attention. Thanks for that."

Jade cursed silently and tried to use frost breath, but the Typhlosion superheated its hands, melting the ice on her arms and blistering the frosted skin beneath. She bit back another scream, and the Houndoom's throat glowed orange as it smiled cruelly. "This is where it ends for you. But don't worry… Your team will join you soon enough. Then it'll be all over."

 **-Vulcan-**

"So are you gonna do it?"

"Of course not! It's Skuntank!" he exclaimed at the illusory image of Vincent. "And you still haven't told me how you're communicating with me!"

"It's not important. You need to get out of there, before Mordred or Victor get you. Skuntank knows… I know… You can't fight them, Vulcan. Not by yourself. Not even Connor can."

"So? Skuntank's the one that got us into all of this!"

"And the way I see it, he's trying to make things right! From what you've told me, it sounds like he apologized. Just… he didn't say he was apologizing. It's not his style. But he's giving you a chance to save your team. Take that opportunity. Don't let our sacrifices be in vain."

" _Who are you talking to?"_

"Huh? Oh, no-one!" he smiled sheepishly and seemed to be blushing, and Vulcan honed his mind to bring Vincent into focus. "Vince? Who's there?"

" _Is that Vulcan?"_ the voice sounded eerily familiar.

"N-no! Of course not!" he got really close to Vulcan and whispered, "She's really talkative right now, so don't freak out."

"O...kay… Who?"

"Vulcan! I knew it! You lying little Smeargle!" Vincent was knocked out of focus, and a blue face appeared. One that he never thought he'd see again. "...Rose?"

"That's right! I'm alright! And Vincent's here with me! Oh, and Nocturne and Magnus!"

He heard another voice from a bit far away. "Vulcan? Oh, man… I'm surprised you're still going." Nocturne's voice filled his mind, and he lost it. He collapsed to the ground and wept.

"Ah, stop crying, you big pansy! You still got bad guys to beat the s*** out of!" an angry Tropius' head came into focus, and Vulcan just cried some more.

"I can't, Magnus! There's no way out of here!"

"Didn't that two-timin' mother-f***er give you a way out?" he asked.

"Yeah… But he's Skuntank! I just told Vincent that!" then he gasped as the realization set in. "Vincent… If you're with them… That means-!"

The Smeargle sighed, but nodded in confirmation. "Yup. They got me, man… And not even a super-powerful pokémon either… A freakin' Ferrothorn landed a lucky power whip on me." he sighed, but smiled wistfully. "I miss you guys already… But it's really not that bad here. We're all together, at least. It's not what I was expecting at all."

Vulcan shook his head and screamed at him. "How are you here then?! How can you let me see you all while you're… GAH!" he grabbed his head and used blast burn, obliterating the mountain in front of him whilst mega-evolving. He slammed his feet into the ground so hard that the remains of the earth split and fell into a fissure that snaked across the ground in three different directions. He roared with so much rage and sorrow that he felt Vincent's mental connection wavering.

"Vulcan!" Rose shouted at him. "Don't be mad at yourself! I know you blame yourself for what happened, but don't! I know it wasn't your fault!"

"I agree," Nocturne said. "It was Mordred's fault for what he did to us. Not your fault." Then he looked at Magnus briefly, and the Tropius shrugged dismissively. "What they said. I don't blame you. Alright? Arceus, you're so emotional..."

"You need to work on your pep talk skills, Magnus…" Rose told him.

"I don't pep talk! I get things done!"

"Vulcan… Whatever happens… Make sure… that nothing like this ever happens again. You have to live on… Promise me that I won't see you here anytime soon." Vincent said as Magnus and Rose proceeded to argue in the background.

"I can't promise that, Vincent! I have to do whatever it takes to keep my team safe!"

"Then do it! Even if you don't want to… join Skuntank! It's what Connor would do, and you know it!"

Vulcan shook his head slowly and planted a knee on the ground. "...He wouldn't-"

"He would do anything. _Anything._ " Vincent sternly replied. "Will you make him proud? The same Mudkip that you saved the world with?"

"Yes… I will."

"Good…" Vincent smiled with relief, and suddenly looked… nervous.

"Vince? What's wrong?" Vulcan asked as the mental picture began fading.

"I… 't ...ina ….me out…" then the image went black.

Vulcan took several deep breaths and clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. "I promise… I'll make this right… And make sure it never happens again." He grabbed the orb out of his wonder bag and smashed it in his fist. He waited for a warping effect, but after a moment, opened his fist to find a golden winged badge with a small white Human-like skull in the center. His nose curled upward with disgust at its tacky design, but he pinned the badge to his blue bow and looked to the sky. "I did it, Skuntank. I accepted your offer. Now you'd better keep your end of the deal."

 **-Skuntank-**

He paused as his badge flashed three times, then glanced at Weezing and Crobat. Their badges flashed three times as well, and he chuckled warmly. "About time, you dimwit…" He tapped the badge with the tip of his tail, and the Charizard that he had almost started to respect appeared before them.

"Chaw-haw-haw! I knew you'd accept my offer."

"Shut it." the Charizard snapped.

"Hey, don't get short with me-"

"I just got through talking with four of my dead team members! And the last thing they told me was to do what I had to! And trust me, I really, really didn't want to accept your offer. But it's the best chance I've got. So let me explain something to you, _Chief._ "

 _Wow, he's got even more spunk than I remember._ Skuntank suppressed a smile as Vulcan continued. "Since you and Crobat are the ones responsible for the death of a third of my team… If any of you try _anything_ that I don't like… Then consider our deal off."

"Relax, hothead." Skuntank grunted. "If you quit from our team, you're back at square one. And I won't make the offer again."

"...Whose side are you on?" Vulcan asked.

"I'm on my own side. And it's in my best interest that we get your team back together and crush those scumbags so bad that they won't ever mess with us again."

Skuntank smirked and chuckled again. "Chaw-haw-haw… I can't believe I'm doing this… Helping you guys out is usually the last thing on my mind."

* * *

 **Bam! Chapter 12! That was pretty intense! What did you guys think? As always, I hope you all enjoyed! If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to leave them in the form of a review or PM! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	13. No Man's Side

**-Chapter XIII: No Man's Side-**

 **-Vincent-**

"Guys, we can't do this again! That was way too close!" he whispered as several Dusknoir floated over the building they were in. They had taken shelter in a collapsed hut that was upside down due to the wacky gravity. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that they were super weak here, and had none of their powers. Then again, they were dead. He had no idea how he was still able to think as if he were alive, and how he was able to see Rose, Nocturne and Magnus as clear as day. Even if they were sort of translucent.

Apparently, they said that death was like a really long, boring dream that they just woke up from. And Rose had apparently heard a voice shortly before regaining consciousness.

"You think I don't know that? The voice said that if the Dusknoirs catch us, then we'll be brought back down to the dark parts of the Distortion world!" Rose whispered.

"Okay, for now… We can't be stupid. I found a dimensional bubble that allowed us to talk to Vulcan, but that's it. I can't do it again. There are at least ten of these guys here." he replied.

"I f***in' hate this… We can't even fight them!" Magnus almost spoke at his usual voice level, but Nocturne hushed him. "Stop it! We have to stay quiet."

Magnus growled, but laid down and curled his wings across his body like a blanket. They were all semi-translucent, which made it clear that they were ghosts, but he still felt... real. He sighed and knelt on the ground, trying to figure this out. _This is literally a second life in a weird world. This isn't death. Something's off. ...Maybe the Temporal Guardians did this?_

He shook his head and dismissed that idea with a light laugh. _No, they can't do something like this. Even Amber almost died when Sharpedo Bluff blew up. Maybe Dusknoir? I felt a strange energy coming off of him when he was training Roy… Not like two years ago._

He sighed and teared up as he looked back at three of his oldest friends. _No use thinking about it now. There's nothing I can do here except keep us together._

"Guys… Let's set up camp here for now. We need to stay silent."

 **-Alice-**

"In here." the Beedrill pointed to a seemingly random tree, about eight feet across. Other than its size, it didn't look like anything out of the ordinary.

"That's a… tree."

The Beedrill rolled her eyes and buzzed straight through the tree, vanishing like an illusion into its bark. "Oh." she dragged the Klinklang through the hidden entrance, and her jaw dropped as she realized that the entire tree was hollowed out, with several stories of wooden flooring, with holes in the roof, presumably for the Beedrill to fly through.

"So what's your name?" Alice asked.

The Beedrill's clones dropped the other members of Team Virus, and the Bulbasaur held them against the wood by growing vines as thick as the Haxorus' arms from the earth.

"That's classified information that I only give out to the Police. And sometimes my targets, if I'm feeling like gloating." the original Beedrill replied. "What's yours?"

"I asked you first!" Alice protested.

"And I saved your life. So how about telling me? Hm?"

"...Alice," she said.

"Hmph. Alice, of Team Firestorm… You're the one that can bend male pokémon to her will just by talking to them. I've read about you. But I didn't make the connection."

"Not exactly…" Alice admitted. "It takes focus and confidence. They caught me by surprise, so there wasn't really much I could do."

"Huh. Alright, my name is B."

"B?" Alice asked with obvious disbelief. "That's obviously an alias. A Beedrill named B? Come on."

"It's the truth." she replied. "You can believe me… or not. The choice is yours."

"Alright… B. Thanks."

"What for?"

"For saving me?" Alice half-asked, completely surprised by this bug-type's obliviousness.

"Why thank me? I was only doing my job." she replied as she fed each of the members of Team Virus a strange pulpy mixture of berries.

"Because it's what you do when someone saves you!" Alice said.

"Oh. You're welcome, then." she replied without looking away from the Haxorus.

"Ma'am…?" the Bulbasaur asked.

"Yes, child?" B looked at the Bulbasaur, who shifted anxiously from foot to foot. "Can I go home now? My parents are probably worried…"

"You mean you weren't with her?" her eyes twitched back and forth between them, then nodded. "...Of course you can. You know the way, I presume?"

"Not really…"

"Where is your house?"

"On the eastern edge of the forest."

"Then go left once you leave." B said simply. "You'll reach home eventually."

"That's it?" Alice wondered aloud.

"Yes. I will not be an escort while there is a powerful enemy team in one of my secret bases."

"Then I'll escort him!" Alice declared.

"Fine. I'll be here, so don't go running into any more dangerous pokémon on your way."

"I'll try not to." she mocked.

 **-Iden-**

"This is problematic." Iden mumbled. "They've been separated." he looked over the scroll that he snatched from the police and pointed to the painting of a Charizard. "That's him. It says that they've returned to their places of origin." He gasped and rolled it up as Cinder leapt onto his back. "That means that Vulcan's returned home! We have to go get him!"

He stashed the scroll in his wonder bag and took off through the mountains that divided the continent, flying back towards the volcanic island far to the west.

 **-Atlas-**

He had finally figured out how to hit things with his shadow-fist. He actually had to absorb the shadows around him until it became solid enough to not turn to mist. But it was still a weak punch compared to his other hands. He couldn't do much about that without Roy or Dusknoir's help. By the time he'd finished that, the sun had been down for at least an hour.

He sat alone in an alcove on the cliffside and drew markings on the wall in front of him. Pictures of his friends… his family. Connor, Vulcan, Vincent… Alice, Rose... He teared up and clenched his fists, then crushed the small stone he was using to draw on the walls. "I can't get out of here, I'm being hunted by the group that killed my team… This is going great." he sighed and broke another section of stone from the wall of the alcove, then broke that into several shards that were thick enough to carve pictures into the walls.

Then he felt something that was off. It was like… wind. But it was night-time outside, so the wind should have died down by now. He crouched low to the ground and solidified his shadow-fist by absorbing the darkness around him. He peeked his head out warily, making sure to stick to the shadows. He saw a faint shape in the distance, with the silver light of the moon illuminating it in the night sky. Before he could even register what it was, it was already on top of him. He gasped as the shape tackled him into his cave. He kicked it off with so much force that the cave roof shook and cratered inwards where it hit. He stood up quickly and ignited his fists with fire punch, revealing a Noivern standing between him and the only exit.

"There is nowhere to go, Atlas." the Noivern's voice was deep and booming, even at a whisper. He sprinted forward and used ice punch, but his fist was coated in a sticky substance as he was thrown back into the cave. He flew backwards and tried to get up, but his other arms were pinned down in the blink of an eye, each one stuck to the cave floor by some sort of webbing. Then an Ariados crawled across the ceiling with a wicked smile. "Hello, Atlas…"

"Hi."

The Ariados dropped on top of his stomach and rubbed the back of her head mockingly. "You know who we are, I presume?"

"You're the assassins Mordred sent after us?"

"You would be correct." the Ariados smiled and did a mocking bow.

 _Let's hope this works…_ Atlas dissolved his shadow-fist and phased it through the webbing. And it worked, much to his surprise. He suppressed a smile, even in the darkness of the cave. "Go ahead. You won't kill me."

"Oh… I will. That's a promise." the Ariados placed one of her needle-sharp legs on his neck and began pressing down. "All it takes is a little bit of pressure, and…"

Atlas resolidified his shadow-fist and grabbed her leg, then threw her against the wall as hard as he could. He ripped the webbing off of his other hands and struggled to stand, but was blasted backwards by a pure wave of ear-shattering sound before he could do much else. He clutched at the sides of his head in agony, not even being able to hear himself screaming in pain. He tried to stand up, but the Noivern had him pinned to the ground, and the last thing he saw was a blue light at the back of its throat before he felt the searing blast of a Dragon Pulse.

 **-Amber-**

"...So will she show?" Tyranitar muttered. "She's never been one to be on time."

"I'm always fashionably late, thank you! I only kept you waiting for eight minutes and thirty-seven seconds!" the silver-skinned Delphox smiled and leaned against Tyranitar without preamble, who promptly sidestepped, causing her to stumble, but she caught herself.

She smiled warmly and spread her arms out. "Hello, ladies and gentlemón! How many of you are there this time?" she narrowed her eyes and pointed at each of them with a slight bounce in her wand. "Five, six… seven? Oh, wow! You really _are_ testing Dialga's patience, aren't you? And it looks like you even have a Grand Reaper with you!" she giggled and twirled her wand between her fingers. "I'm surprised Dialga's even letting you even talk to him!"

Dusknoir glared at her and lightly clenched his fists. "Valerie, we are seeking information."

"Of course you are. That's all you ever want out of me, isn't it?" she snapped. "If you're wondering where they are… I don't know."

"What?" Amber's jaw dropped as Valerie shrugged nonchalantly.

"The team that's going to be completely destroyed in a few days? I have no clue where they are."

Basileus growled quietly, and Valerie turned to him. "Oh, Basileus… Still wearing that eyepatch, I see. Didn't you get that healed when you were chosen?"

Briar narrowed her eyes at the Delphox, and she seemed to lose some of her confidence. "...Fine. I made a deal with one of you - Not saying who! That I would help you out. So… here's my big secret: I'm training Roy. And might I say, it's coming along wonderfully!"

"Where?" Amber demanded. "Tell us!"

"Oh… You see, I can't do that. Because he's the only pokémon that knows where my secret base is outside of Mt. Mistral. Well, him and Soulburner…" she shrugged dismissively and prodded the ground in front of her, growing a small bush that blossomed into several sitrus berries in a matter of moments. "What do you guys eat, anyways? I know you can't have three week's worth of food for two alphas, a Daughter of Arceus and-"

"Stop changing the subject!" Amber shouted. "Tell us where Roy is!"

"Only if you say please." Valerie mocked.

"Oh, you did not just…" Amber ignited her fists, and Valerie rolled her eyes, this time less playfully. "I used to be one of you. Stop trying to intimidate me." with a flick of her wand, Amber's wings retracted, her entire body began shifting, and her flames were extinguished. She looked at her hands, which had five slender, tan-colored fingers and gasped. "How did you…"

"I've had an eternity to train. And without all of those 'temporal duties', I've had a _lot_ of free time." Valerie smiled and stepped closer. "Actually, you're taller than I remember. And you really look quite lovely for a human! I'm actually surprised! No wonder Connor fell in love with you!"

"Stop." Amber commanded her. "I don't want to fight."

"Oh. Well… I do. I want to see how much of a fight seven Temporal Guardians can muster up!"

"We will not fight you." Basileus said. "Valerie, have you already forgotten what we fight to protect?"

"The Temporal Tree, I remember." she huffed. "And I've done a swell job at it, thank you!"

"Wigglytuff and Lapras both protect this era. You have done nothing to assist them."

"Actually, I have! I'm training the one that's going to end up saving them all! And as long as Dusknoir can keep up his little act, this will end up perfectly fine!"

"What act?" Grovyle spoke up this time.

"Pay her no heed," Dusknoir quickly said. "Valerie, you may be able to hold out against the Temporal Guardians, but you have never faced me in battle. I am twice the foe any of these pokémon are to you."

"You want to back that up, big guy?" Valerie's wand burst into flames, and Galvantula used discharge, zapping all of them. Amber shuddered from the shock and fell to the ground, her heart ceasing in between beats. Briar rolled her eyes as she applied a healing paste to Amber's chest. The shuddering stopped, and all eyes were on Galvantula now.

"Alright guys, can we please just get along! I like to see a good fight as much as the next guy, but we're kind of on a strict schedule! This is our only shot at altering this timeline, so let's just get along for the next three days! Please!"

"...Fine." Valerie sat on the ground and stared at Amber. "Okay, before we start, I have one last question… Don't humans normally wear robes over themselves? I've never seen you without your clothing."

Amber nodded and glared at the Delphox. "Whenever I initiate the transformation myself, my clothing is still intact. You forcing me into human form destroyed them."

"Oh… Sorry about that. I could just make you some new ones-"

"You've done enough." Amber snarled. She tried to transform again, but found herself unable to. "Just return my power."

"...Fine. You're no fun. Much more stuck-up than I remember..." Valerie tapped Amber with her wand, and she transformed into a pitch-black Charizard. She ignited her fists experimentally, then transformed into a Vaporeon. She nodded once, then returned to Charizard form.

"I'm listening." Valerie said with a sarcastic smile. "So what's the big deal? Why did you call me?"

"Because we need your help." Basileus said.

"Seriously?" Valerie laughed and stood up. "That's it? I already talked with your mate about that! I said I would train Roy, and that was it! I'm not doing anything else!"

"Briar? You already talked to her?" Amber asked.

"Was I not supposed to say that?" Valerie jokingly asked as Briar's eyes widened.

"...Yes, I have." the Sceptile replied. "I knew that she would not listen to any of you… And getting her to help was crucial to our plan's success. We needed Roy to become more powerful than any other member of Team Firestorm."

"Why? Connor's the most powerful mortal being any of us have ever met!" Celebi exclaimed. "He's more than enough to bring them down!"

"Then why was he able to be brought down by two Magneton and a Magnezone?" Valerie asked them all. "...I'll answer that; He's weaker than you believe. Without his powers, he's a normal Swampert. Granted, he's abnormally strong, fast and tough, but he's not invincible like he was in the future. And since you can't force his memories upon him without his approval, he's not going to live up to your expectations. He will fail."

"He wasn't fighting back." Amber said. "I've seen when he fights without holding back. He is much more powerful than you'd think."

"But if he dies, then it doesn't matter how strong he is, does it?" Valerie held her hands with her palms facing up as if she just revealed something huge.

"What's that supposed to mean? You trying to tell us that he's going to die?" Tyranitar shook his head slowly. "Not gonna happen. He's as tough as any Steel-type."

"The funny thing about being a Temporal Guardian… You only know what Dialga knows. He has no clue what's about to happen. So neither do you. I know that Roy is necessary to ensure that they beat these pokémon."

Celebi clenched her fists and fluttered forward angrily. "Bending the laws of death is against everything that Lord Giratina has set in place!"

"That's why you have Giratina's right-hand pokémon with you!" Valerie exclaimed sweetly as she pointed at Dusknoir. "He'll make sure everything goes off without a hitch!"

"You didn't tell us you were the Supreme Grand Reaper," Grovyle said softly.

Dusknoir sighed and looked to the ground. "...I am."

"So why can't you just bring them back? Or stop them from dying at all?"

"Death is not something I can directly tamper with, brother. However… Roy, if he is powerful enough, can do what I cannot."

"How? You're Giratina's right hand pokémon! You should be able to do anything you want!"

"Lord Giratina has decreed the natural order of life. There cannot be revival without sacrifice. Grand Reapers, as part of the law of death, cannot directly tamper with the natural order." then the giant ghost-type looked to Valerie. "You've told Roy what must happen?"

"Weellll… Not exactly." she admitted. "I've just been kind of… letting him figure out his powers while providing minimal guidance. I like to let the details work themselves out."

Dusknoir grabbed Valerie's shoulder with a shadowy extension of his hand and stared her down. "Listen well, ex-Temporal Guardian: I will not stand by and let everything we've worked for go to waste because you decided not to inform the most important pokémon in this era of the role he must perform!"

"Why don't you just get another ghost-type to do it?" Valerie questioned.

"I have full confidence in his abilities. As long as he is prepared, he will be able to save them." Dusknoir assured. "You, however… I do not trust you with the fate of Team Firestorm."

"And you're right not to. I'm doing this because Briar asked me to. I couldn't care less about what the rest of you want. So let me make something perfectly clear: Roy doesn't have what it takes. He's strong, and he _is_ a _very_ fast learner… But I only agreed to help train him. I didn't sign up for all the extra stuff you're adding on. So count me out of… whatever this is."

"Then leave! We don't need your help!" Celebi blurted out.

"Actually, we do-"

"Shut it!" she snapped at Galvantula.

"Celebi, we do need her assistance… As much as I wish it were otherwise." Dusknoir grumbled. "She is the only one that can bring out Roy's full potential."

"I don't want to hear it from you, either! I didn't want to work with you, since you killed me once, but since Grovyle insisted, I had to come along!"

"Celebi!" Grovyle spoke up, hushing her outbursts. "Stop it. She's obviously trying to make us fight each other. But we need her help. We all know it."

Dusknoir stared Valerie down and lightly closed his fists. "You tell him what has to happen. Do I make myself clear?"

Valerie shrugged and turned away from him without so much as a word, and he grabbed her shoulder, his voice filled with masked anger. "Valerie, do not walk away from me!"

Her wand glowed and extended into a five-foot-long wooden staff that had intricate markings etched into it, splitting into two branches at the very top, forming a rough U-shape with a small fireball in the center. She immediately hit Dusknoir's stomach so hard with the hilt of the staff that he toppled backwards several meters before falling to the ground. He sat up and absorbed the shadows around him while his eye glowed bright like a spotlight. His stomach-face was scowling as he floated upright, and Valerie just stood there while they all processed what just happened.

"I'll do what you asked. But try to be a little more polite next time." Valerie's staff shrunk back into a wand-sized piece of wood and she vanished in a tornado of fire.

* * *

 **Chapter 13 guys! I hope you enjoyed! As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories, feel free to post them in the form of a Review or PM! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	14. Twins of Darkness

**-Chapter XIV: Twins of Darkness-**

 **-Mirage-**

"Wow… Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate," the Garchomp said.

"Yeah… Sorry about that… It's my fault for bringing you guys into this..."

"Okay, rule number two! Do not apologize for anything unless the other person asks for an apology!" the Garchomp decreed. "You didn't bring us into this. We saved you, and you just so happened to be one of the pokémon that are being hunted down by a couple of master assassins. Not your fault."

"What was rule number one?" Mirage asked.

*Only male pokémon can join our 'group'.* the Claydol mused. *But he appears to have made an exception to that rule, since you have proven to be more of a help than a hinderance to us.*

"Yeah… That." the Garchomp shrugged and picked up pace. "Let's get a move on. I don't want to be caught in the badlands after dark."

"Agreed." Mirage quickly said. Her parents had always warned her of how dangerous the badlands were at night. It's when all of the criminals and predators in the desert congregated in one central area. If you weren't tougher than most of the pokémon there, you were as good as dead.

She flew behind them in silence for quite a while before the Garchomp stopped. He looked around slowly, then stumbled backwards as two Excadrill and an Aegislash burst from the sand. The excadrill bore a crest on the right side of their chest, and the Aegislash had the same marking on its shield. A marking that Mirage recognized all too well. The Aegislash floated forward and spoke first. "You are entering the Kingdom of the Sands. State your identities, foreigners."

"Andreas of Esterhaven" the Garchomp spoke up first. "And this Hippowdon is domestic. It can't talk." he clarified.

*I am Gabriel of Esterhaven.* the Claydol said.

"...Oh! M-Mirage of the Kingdom of the Sands!" she stammered. _His name is Andreas? Well, it does suit him, I guess-_

"And what is in your wonder bag?" the Aegislash questioned.

"Artifacts I'm looking to sell." Andreas replied. "That's why we're here."

"...The first village is two miles to the northeast. They can direct you to the palace, if you have any items of high value." the Aegislash bowed and vanished into its own shadow. The two Excadrill burrowed away shortly afterwards.

"Your name's Andreas?" Mirage asked jokingly.

"Yeah… I kinda wish it were something else, though. It isn't really my style."

"I think it's a good name. It suits you." Mirage said with a smile.

"Really-? Uh, thanks…" he quickly caught himself, then glanced at her as they began walking. "So… You're from the kingdom? What brought you all the way out here?"

"I joined an exploration team." she said. "That's all."

"Okay… So what are you going to do once we get to the village?"

"Well... I was hoping that you'd come with me to the palace." she suggested. "After all, you've never seen it before."

"I'd like that." Andreas replied. "I mean, _we'd_ like that." he seemed to grimace slightly, but Mirage ignored it. She kept walking, and eventually felt up to flying. She flew a bit further ahead than the other two, and she gasped as a small building appeared on the horizon. "Guys! The village is close! Come on!"

 **-Jade-**

She opened her eyes when she heard a brief thunk-like sound, followed by feeling the Typhlosions' grip loosen from her arms. She righted herself from the snow and observed that the Houndoom had been knocked to the side and the Typhlosion had been slammed face-first into the nearest tree. A fog began rolling in around them, and laughter echoed around until a voice called out from her left. "Ooooh, you made a big mistake, lady!"

An identical voice came from her right, a somewhat high-pitched male voice. "A big mistake!"

The Houndoom used fire blast, sending thick pillars of fire in ten different directions, somehow avoiding Jade in the crossfire. After a moment of looking around in silence, she snarled softly. "Hmph…"

She turned back to Jade and leapt forward, but a shadowy pokémon grappled her head mid-leap and slammed her head into the snow. "Hee-hee! Levi, you gotta try this!"

The Houndoom got up and looked into the fog, then back at the Typhlosion and Talonflame, "Well?! Do something!"

The Talonflame's wings began glowing, about to use defog, when the same shadowy figure tackled it out of the air, "Ain't nobody messing up our flow, son!"

The same voice came from her right again. "Yeah!"

There was a brief shout alongside a flash of white light, and the Talonflame was slid right into the Houndoom's legs, frozen in a block of ice.

The Houndoom growled and looked to where the pokémon was frozen. "You think I can be taken down so easily?!"

Jade floated forward, about to use frost breath after getting over her initial surprise, but the pitch-black pokémon appeared in front of her and held her back with one hand. "We'll take this crazy lady. You chill."

She heard a light snicker from her right. "Heh. Ice jokes."

The Houndoom bellowed a flamethrower at one of the shadows, but not even a moment later, another pokémon grappled her horns and slammed her face-first into the snow. "Ha-ha-ha! No kidding! This is fun!"

The Houndoom roared defiantly and was enveloped in a purple orb, and when it shattered, her horns became more prominent as she grew another foot taller. Her muscles expanded and the bones lining her chest and back shifted and grew into bony armor. She radiated heat so intense that the snow around her melted instantaneously.

"Oh. Not good." the voice to her right muttered. "Guess she's the alpha."

She whipped her head to the source of the noise, trying to get a good look at the mystery pokémon, but to no avail. They both seemed to merge together between her and the Houndoom and said in unison, "Let's go!" and they dashed forward as one. The Houndoom growled and attempted to use fire fang on one, but they both split just before reaching her and grabbed her legs, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground.

She stood back up as fast as she could, only to be hit with a slash attack from behind, and then another attack from her side. She roared in pain as one of the segments of bone was sliced off of her skin and used heat wave in retaliation. The air around her superheated, evaporating the thick fog and melting the snow around her all the way down to the permafrost. The two pokémon leapt to opposite sides and used a dual-blizzard attack to dissipate the heat.

The Houndoom growled and bit down on an orb on her necklace, then vanished alongside the Talonflame and Typhlosion. Then the two pokémon dropped out of the trees above them, laughing and high-fiving. "Ha! That'll show them! Fire-types ain't got nothin' on us!"

"Who are you?" Jade asked. They were two identical Weavile. They were both moderately tall, about as tall as her, with jet-black skin, aside from their snow-white claws, and a crimson-colored head crest and a bright yellow gem on their forehead. And they were quite attractive. Not that it mattered.

"We're the Weavile Twins!" the one on the left proclaimed.

"Levi and Pierce!" the one on the right finished.

Hazel floated up to them after materializing from shadows. "Th-thank you…"

"Eh, it's no problem!" the one on the right smiled charmingly. "We were in the area and figured we'd help out."

"Why?"

"Why do you want to know?" the one on the left asked. "Can't we just do the right thing?"

"I've never known a random pokémon to help another without asking for anything in return."

"There's a first time for everything!" the Weavile on the left smiled and looked between them both. "So… are you sisters, or…?"

"Arceus, no! She is my daughter!" Hazel quickly replied.

"Oh! Wow! You look really good for… however old you are. I know that Snorunt don't evolve for a long time, so you've gotta be… what, a hundred?"

"I am not comfortable discussing this with you." Hazel sternly replied.

"Alright, it's cool." he said with a smile.

"So which one are you?" Jade asked.

"Me? I'm Levi." he crossed his arms and tilted his head towards the other Weavile. "He's Pierce." Then he pointed at her briefly. "So what's a beauty like you doing in a forest like this? Don't you know it's dangerous?"

She floated upright and glared at him. "I am aware of the dangers of this island. And I do appreciate the compliment, but flattery will not affect my views of you."

Levi nudged his brother and smirked. "She digs me."

Pierce pushed his brother lightly. "Psh! No way!"

"Yes way!" Levi spoke slightly louder.

"If you say so," Pierce said with a sarcastic smile.

"So who are you, exactly? An Exploration Team?" Jade asked.

"Why, do you wanna join? 'Cuz I don't mean to sound rude, but-"

"I just want to get off of this island." she interrupted.

"What? This place is like a haven for ice-types! Snow, pine trees, other ice types… Why would you want to leave?" Levi asked.

"Those pokémon you fought earlier are trying to kill me."

"Well, we kinda figured that, sweetums. But don't worry, we'll protect you guys."

"I don't need a bodyguard, I need a way off of this island. Can you help with that or not?"

"Of course we can!" Pierce replied. "We know about a secret network of mystery dungeons that run under the ocean. They run all the way back to Immanis, and then some. In fact, they might have expanded even more since we last visited!"

"I have never heard of them, and I've lived on this island my entire life." Hazel informed them. "Do you have proof to back up your claim of a so-called 'passage'?"

"Uh… The proof is the passageway…?" Levi seemed confused, then shrugged. "You'll just have to trust us."

"The last time I trusted a Dark-Type, I lost someone very dear to me." Jade sternly replied. "I refuse to trust you based solely on one act."

"Great…You're type-ist. Whatever." Pierce said with a dismissive shrug. "Good luck getting out of here." And he dashed off without another word. Levi stared at Jade briefly, then winked before taking off.

"Jade!" Hazel scolded her. "They just saved our lives!"

"Where were you during all of that? I didn't see you once during that entire battle!"

"I was being held in the shadow dimension by the Houndoom's mega-evolution!"

"...What are you talking about? Being held in the shadow dimension?"

"If a Dark-Type is powerful enough, they can lock ghost-types into whatever dimension they are residing in. You didn't know that?"

"I… Did not." then she pondered her situation a moment ago. "That would explain why I couldn't phase through the Typhlosion…"

"Oookay! We're back!" She blinked heavily as the two Weavile dropped from the trees in front of them. "And we figured out how to get you to trust us!" the one on the left replied.

"Is… that so?" Jade suppressed a light scoff. "In ten seconds?"

"Yeah! We'll save your lives again!" the other one said triumphantly. "The Houndoom is on her way here, this time with a few more pokémon. So… do you want to run? Or fight?"

"How close are they?"

"About… two minutes away." the one on the right estimated.

"If we go now, we can ditch them," the other said with a hint of urgency. "Oh, and thanks for the Ruin Armlet."

"What?" Jade turned to face him, and he held up a small pitch-black bracelet with a red pattern etched into it. Her eyes widened as she saw the little item she picked up in Team Siren's base around the Weavile's wrist. "Hey-!"

"Where'd you even find this?" he chuckled. "These are, like, super rare!"

"How did you-"

"Why'd you keep it? It can't do anything for your species."

"I don't know!" she blurt out. "Don't interrupt me!"

"Forty seconds." Pierce muttered. "Give her the bracelet and let's get out of here."

"Nah. We can take these guys." Levi smiled and extended his claws as the Houndoom emerged from the woods. "Besides, we haven't been out much recently. This'll get us back into practice for the main event."

"Well, since you put it like that…" Pierce extended his claws into razor-sharp indigo shadow claws that seemed to draw in the darkness around them. "I guess it won't hurt anybody except them."

 **-Roy-**

"Let's see…" he drew on the ground using shadows as a form of ink. He had begun writing down ideas that Valerie could look over for him to learn. So far he'd just written down a bunch of Incantations, including transformation, possession, temporal kinesis and levitation. And he'd been practicing his shadow-Gallade. It could talk on a semi-intelligent level, and could think on its own, but since it was made of shadows, it couldn't really fight anything.

He suddenly heard mumbling far off to his right, so he decided to investigate. When he phased into shadows and teleported through the shadow world, he saw Valerie sitting in her rocking chair, seeming to be muttering under her breath.

"...Valerie?" he cautiously said as he rematerialized.

"Roy! Oh, I'm sorry I didn't tell you I got back. I just needed a minute to recuperate." she quickly said.

"Oh. It's alright. I wrote down several things-"

"Awesome! Awesome… Um, listen… I have something important to tell you."

"Okay…?" Roy arched an eyebrow as Valerie stood to face him. "So… I'm just going to say it like it is; You're going to be the last member of Team Firestorm left alive."

"Uh…" Roy was completely and utterly baffled by the suddenness of that statement. "What?"

"Was that a 'what' like you didn't hear me? Or a 'what' like-"

"No, no… I heard you." Roy quickly put in. "I just don't understand why you decided to say it out of the blue like that."

"The Mafia knows where they all are. Or… should I say, where they were all teleported to when you were separated. You, on the other hand… Are invisible, metaphorically speaking. I brought you here instead of the mountain where you died, so you're safe."

"But why don't we go and save them if they're going to…" he didn't finish his sentence. Even though death was something he was accustomed to, he hated the thought of his new family not existing anymore.

"Because it's not what's going to happen. I can see the future, Roy. _You_ are the key to everything. The one that can set this timeline back into its correct state… One with Team Firestorm. Because without you to do that… Well, there's a lot of things that're supposed to happen in a decade or two and it requires them to be alive and well."

"Like, I have to revive them? What do I have to do?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" she exclaimed sarcastically. "I think I've left you hanging long enough; Let's start some real lessons in dark magic! First up: rest! It's a necessity, even for a ghost like yourself! So go learn to rest properly, then we'll start in the morning."

"Fine. You'd better hold up your end of the deal this time," he deadpanned.

"What deal?" She asked innnocently. "I brought you here and am teaching you things necessary for you to hopefully set this timeline back into place. I never made any deals with anyone!"

 **-Dawn-**

She sat there silently meditating, trying her best to calm her rage. She had only been with that team for less than a week, and yet _he_ somehow managed to show up not even two days later. Her blood boiled just thinking about him.

 _It's definitely him… But how? He doesn't remember me at all… But he remembers what he did. He knows, yet he has no remorse... You know what? They were right. Those pokémon are evil._

She clenched her fists and shook her head clear of those thoughts. "No, not them… Just him." then she took a deep breath as a single tear fell from her eye. _They never told me that they were good pokémon..._

Then that pokémon's voice echoed in her mind. " _You help me get what I want… And I will give you back what you've lost."_

"I'm so sorry..." she whimpered quietly and used Roy's Misdrea-cape as a tarp to shield herself from the rain. "I didn't know what I was getting into…"

* * *

 **Chapter 14 is up! Also, I've started my last year of high school, so that's good. My updating speed might vary sometimes because of that though, so don't worry. :P**

 **As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you did, or even if you didn't, go ahead and leave any questions, comments, concerns or theories in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	15. Son of Fire

**-Chapter XV: Son of Fire-**

 **-Victor-**

"WHAT?!" Victor roared as Koumori hovered in front of him whilst delivering some outrageous news. "Connor… Has escaped, sir. He just… vanished, according to Magnezone. And I had our best psychics sift through his mind for even the smallest sliver of what happened. But there is nothing. One moment he's talking to Connor, and the next moment… Connor was gone, and his bonds had been broken at the shackles."

Victor took many deep, yet rapid breaths as he let the information sink in. "Connor couldn't have teleported! Even with outside assistance, it's psychically sealed to prevent that sort of thing!" He growled and looked to the ground as he thought of all possible outcomes of this situation. "Magnezone… Doesn't have any thoughts of rebellion?"

"None that our psychics could detect, sir." Koumori confirmed.

"Then I can't have him killed… I still need him." he sighed and decided to change the subject. "Have you received any progress from the Assassins yet?"

"Yes, sir." Koumori seemed to lighten up as she continued. "They've successfully eliminated Atlas. And... a Ferrothorn scouting Treeshroud Forest with a Simisage took down Vincent."

Victor's eye twitched, but he nodded briefly. "Fine. Anything else?"

"Mordred is working on locating Dawn, but she's gone completely off the radar. She is proving quite difficult to locate, even for him."

"...And Rogue? Has she found Jade yet?"

"I am not sure, sir… She brought a Talonflame, Typhlosion, Mamoswine, Magmortar, Aggron and Metagross with her, so just due to the numbers, even if Jade finds assistance, her odds of overcoming them are less than two percent."

"Excellent. But… What about Soulburner?"

" _Hee-hee-hee-ha-ha-ha!_ " The Chandelure's light, yet sinister laughter echoed through the room they were in as five flames sparked to life, then the shadows condensed in between him and Koumori, forming a light purple and black body connecting the orbs of fire. "Koumori, if you could do me a favor and leave for a minute, please? Victor and I have a little something that needs to be sorted out."

Koumori glanced at Victor for confirmation, and he nodded once. "Leave us. And do not speak of this to anyone. I will get you when I am finished."

"Yes, sir." she fluttered silently through a hole in the top of the room, and Soulburner glared at him angrily. "So... when were you going to tell me about the magical Delphox that was guarding Roy?"

"I didn't know about Valerie until-"

"Don't give me that crap!" Soulburner hissed angrily. "Roy was mine, and mine alone! First I went to where he died, but he wasn't there! That raised more than a few questions in my head, but I went to look for him instead of bugging you, like a good Chandelure! But when I did find him, he was a _lot_ more powerful, managed to negate my immunity to flames, and that Delphox nearly killed me because of it!"

"That is not my fault. I didn't know about the Delphox, and you know better than to blame me for problems that arise." Victor warned him.

"Hmph. Get your 'psychics' to fix my ability, then I won't burn you alive." Soulburner threatened.

"I will fix your ability. After that, you find him and take him down. And if you try to attack me, I will have to kill you. In self defense, of course." Victor countered.

"You strike a hard bargain, Vic…" then a small smile appeared on its ghastly face. "But I like to think I'm an easy pokémon to work with. Let's say… you fix my ability, then Roy is as good as gone. How does that sound?"

"I like the sound of that." Victor agreed.

"Well, then… let's get me fixed up!"

 **-Widow-**

"So where's Vulcan?" Flatline asked. "I did a full sweep ten miles in every direction. The only lead we've got is a giant fissure near one of the edges that's definitely new. But there's no sign of anything else aside from that. And that could have been almost any fire-type."

"I don't know!" Widow hissed angrily while they soared through the sky over the Volcanic island. "Honestly, this team is a lot more trouble than they're worth. The only reason I'm still even considering this is because we're pot committed at this point."

"Yeah… What will we do once Victor pays us, anyways?"

"I don't know… There's always work to be done… But once Team Firestorm is eliminated, that will send a lot of Exploration Teams into hiding," she speculated.

"Which means that without enemies of the pokémon paying us… We're out of the job." Flatline grumbled.

"Who cares? Victor's paying enough us to last a lifetime!" Widow remarked.

"Yeah… That's gonna be nice." Flatline said with a smile. "But there's not gonna be anything fun to do afterwards. We can't go around eliminating pokémon for the fun of it. That's illegal."

"Not if they're outlaws." Widow theorized. "As long as there's a bounty… No, what am I saying?!" she scolded herself and facepalmed. "We're assassins… We don't work for the police. Only private employers."

"Yeah, but if Exploration Teams start going into hiding, outlaw activity will skyrocket, and without someone to stop them, that's not good for anyone."

"Except us! Outlaws are enemies to potential employers as well!" she exclaimed. "So this is a win-win for us!" then she looked down at the back of his head. "And since when do you care about exploration teams?"

"I don't." Flatline corrected her. "This job started off fun, but this just feels wrong now. Like… Normally we take a couple days. This has taken almost a month. It's getting kind of old. I'm ready to move on."

"Oh, so now you're growing a conscience?!" Widow rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "I swear, if you start talking like you don't want to do this…"

"I'll finish it, but just… I don't know, Widow… We've been doing this kind of work for a long time, and something about this team is different. They're so much stronger than all the others we've taken down."

"They're a bit tougher than the average team; So what?" she questioned. "We take them down, we get paid, then we part ways with Victor, end of story! I'm sick of working with him!"

"Same here. We just have to find Vulcan."

Then Widow perked up as a thick black fog enveloped them out of the blue. "...What's this?" she wondered aloud. Even though it was nighttime, this fog was abnormal, and it didn't feel like a cloud. Then she gasped as Flatline was slammed by a pitch-black pokémon so hard that she nearly flew off of his back. She lassoed a string around Flatline's ear and swung around until she was on her attackers' back. She raised her arm and was about to stab the back of its neck with her needlelike leg, but the pokémon elbowed her so hard that her exoskeleton cracked, and she actually felt a puncture wound on the side of her head. She shouted in pain as the pokémon superheated its skin, forcing her to let go. She shouted in surprise as it repeatedly punched Flatline's face with flaming fists as they plummeted toward the earth. She saw flashes of blue fire, but that was it.

"What do you know about Vulcan?!" the pokémon roared. Widow launched a stickyweb at him, but a white-hot flamethrower vaporized the webbing and nearly set her ablaze in the process. She held onto Flatline's back as he opened his mouth and used dragon pulse, blasting the pokémon away. Then his ears began buzzing as he charged up a boomburst attack. "Cover your ears."

Then he unleashed the wave of pure sound from his mouth, easily twice as strong as hyper voice. It parted the fog and knocked their attacker clean out of the sky. Flatline extended his wings just before they were flattened on the stone as well, and glided less than three feet from the barren stone ground. Then his wing gave out and they went sprawling across the volcanic terrain.

Widow helped Flatline up shakily, but his left wing completely gave out with a sickening snap. He grunted softly and gritted his teeth, then laid on the ground. "Of all the ways to break a wing..."

"Here." Widow fed him a sitrus berry, which he swallowed whole with a satisfied sigh.

"Thanks... Now I just gotta-" his sentence was cut short as the pokémon from earlier punched the side of his head with a mega punch. "Where is he?!" the male pokémon roared. Widow gasped and tried to leap out of the way of its tail, which burned with a bright blue flame, but it smacked her right out of the air. She tried to get up, but another pokémon pinned her down by standing on her chest and igniting its fist. She saw its face illuminated by the orange flame and gasped. "Cinder…"

"Hey, you two! Y'know, I almost forgot about you… Then you had to go and talk about Vulcan. Iden's getting super upset because he's not here, so I don't think he's going to go easy on your friend." the Infernape chuckled and stared at her with a sly smirk. "And didn't we say to leave Team Firestorm alone?"

"I never agreed." Widow calmly replied.

"Well that's because you teleported away before we made you agree." Cinder chuckled, then winced as Iden kicked Flatline's ribs with a mega kick, causing the dragon-type to groan as he tumbled across the ground.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Chill, buddy. We don't want to hurt him too bad!" the Infernape called out.

"They know where he is!" Iden snarled. "And I will find him!" Then he glared at Flatline and ignited his fists with neon blue flames. "You're going to regret coming within a hundred miles of this island. We showed you mercy last time, but I'm not in a good mood anymore. Now you're going to tell me where my son is, and if you don't know, then you're going to bring me to Victor, and I'll break him until he tells me everything."

 **-Vulcan-**

"First things first, we gotta rest." Skuntank said. "Ain't nothing we can do if we're half-asleep."

"No! We have to find them as soon as possible!" Vulcan argued. "They're my team, so we're doing it my way!"

"And I'm the one running _this_ team, so we're staying here!" Skuntank commanded. "It's night time anyways. Your tail's gonna be like a beacon unless we make a shelter."

"I don't care! I'll go on without you!"

"You can't do that." Skuntank said. "And I really wish you could. It would save us both a ton of headache. But it's one of those things that comes with being _dishonorably discharged_ , as they call it. The freedoms of being a mistake-free exploration team disappear, even if you're on another team. You have to stay with the leader of the team at all times, along with a bunch of other bogus rules. And I know from experience. The police's system is ridiculous. I mean, your team put most of those outlaws in there! And the fact that they're buying Mordred's BS is a whole 'nother thing. You've got your whole team, and those other pokémon that were with you to testify!"

"And you seem to be forgetting that this is your fault!" Vulcan growled.

"You're still believing that? Mordred's got you guys playing his game too, huh..." Skuntank grunted. "The only thing we did was lead _you_ into an ambush under false pretenses. We were promised a huge sum of cash to do that, and that only. We didn't know about anything else they were up to. Then they blasted my Crobat out of the sky, almost killing him, then they act as if they never did business with us! So whatever they did to your team afterwards wasn't my fault."

"But none of it would have happened if you'd turned down the offer!"

"Are we really arguing about this right now?" Skuntank grunted and began digging into the ground. "Let's argue tomorrow. I think you're gonna need the rest. I'll make a shelter for the night."

 **-Dusknoir-**

"Lord Giratina… I humbly ask for your permission to continue working with the Temporal Guardians."

 **I WILL ALLOW YOU TWO DAYS. AFTER THAT TIME HAS PASSED, YOU ARE ORDERED TO NO LONGER ASSIST IN THE REVIVAL OF TEAM FIRESTORM.** the king of death

"Y-Yes, my lord." Dusknoir bowed humbly and floated into the open dimensional hole, returning to the world of the living. _This is problematic… I can only help them so much without Giratina having to take action… Vincent's communication with Vulcan put him on high alert… I must tell Amber of the situation at hand. Our time is running out._

* * *

Ayy, chapter 15 is up! I hope you guys enjoyed! School has started back up, officially... So yeah... As always, if you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen in a Review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!

-PL


	16. Phantom Pains

**-Chapter XVI: Phantom Pains-**

 **-Connor-**

"Wigglytuff, are you sure…?" Connor asked once more. They had been talking for a little while about solutions to their problem, and Wigglytuff explained that Arceus was resting in the Hall of Origin, so he wasn't going to interfere with anything unless they got his attention.

"Yep! You have to reach the top of that Mystery Dungeon. It is the closest place to the Hall of Origin in all of the worlds!"

"But… Destiny Tower? Isn't it impossible to get to the top?"

"Not impossible… Just… very, very, very, very hard." Wigglytuff grinned. "It'll be fun! Only you can go, so I'll give you a temporary explorer's badge, so if you faint you'll be sent back here!"

"Wigglytuff… I don't know if I can do this. I've faced some pretty hard dungeons before… But I won't have items, all of my moves are gone except water gun, my strength level is back at level one, so I can't even break a small rock, I lose all of my iq skills, and I can't bring any poké for kecleon shops! I can't prepare for that!"

"Which means that you'll need to sleep tonight, then I'll bring you there tomorrow! Okay? Okay!" the pink fluffball grinned and waved him off. "Chatot, can you bring him to the guest sleeping quarters? And don't let any of the apprentices see him. He's practically a celebrity, and we don't need the attention."

"Right away, Guildmaster." Chatot said with a small nod.

Then a knock on the door made Chatot stop in his tracks. It was light, but still echoed throughout the room. Wigglytuff tilted his head and smiled. "Come in!"

The door creaked open just a crack, and Leroy stuck his head through the door. "Is this-" the Farfetch'd gasped and stared at Connor in disbelief. "Connor? How did you-?"

"Connor? He's in there?!" Manaphy's voice asked excitedly as the door was pushed open further. The little blue pokémon waddled forward and leapt onto Connor's neck, giving him a massive hug. "Oh my goodness, I didn't know what happened! I was back at Sharpedo Bluff, then these bad pokémon found me and beat me up, then Aaron and Leroy said they were with you, then they wanted to stop by the guild because Leroy had a hunch that Wigglytuff could help us and-"

"Manaphy, slow down… I'm glad to see you, too…" he said. Tears lined the edges of his eyes as he hugged the little pokémon back.

"...I'll help!" Wigglytuff exclaimed. "It'll be fun! I already told Connor what he had to do, so let's make a new plan with you guys!"

"Huh. You really are as happy-go-lucky as they say," Aaron muttered. "But you got Connor out of Magnezone's prison in less than two days. So let's hear it."

 **-?-**

She sighed and laid down next to Caroline and Ryder, the two she had rescued from Team Veros. _Curse them…_ she thought to herself. _It's a shame Talis wasn't there. I could have given him the beatdown he deserves. But who was-_

"So what's your name?" Caroline asked weakly.

"My… Name?" she echoed. "...That's information for another time, I'm afraid. You're still under the effects of my paralyzing scales, and it's dark out, so we'll have to move on tomorrow."

"Alright…" she murmured. "That sounds good…" she closed her eyes and was sound asleep within a few seconds. The Venomoth scowled as she thought about Team Veros further. _The second highest-ranking operatives in the Mafia… And I took them down easily. My, my, Victor… Your little group has lost its edge since I've been away._

 ***Flashback***

" _Help! Someone!"_

She gasped and listened further. " _Leave us alone!"_

" _Not a chance, Ryder!"_

She knew that voice from anywhere. "Gunther…?"

She fluttered through the forest, using her psychic senses to detect the origin of the disturbance. She smiled excitedly and flew even faster. _Team Veros! Finally, someone in the Mafia that I can hurt!_

She erupted from the underbrush and saw a lone Marshtomp shielding a downed Meganium's head from Deros and Gunther, now a Drapion and Gengar. _Oh. They evolved. Where's Talis?_

"Hey!" she shouted through telepathy. Gunther, the Gengar, turned around and gasped. "Deros! It's-!" she pelted him with silver wind, forcing him to turn away. She growled and used psychic to solidify the Gengar and throw him into Deros, the Drapion. They both went sprawling, and once she got a look at the Meganium, she nearly vomited. It must have been hit by a full-force sludge bomb, or worse. Her skin was practically liquified over ¾ of her body, and in at least a dozen different spots, she could see straight down to its bones. It was horrifying. But the Meganium was still, somehow, alive. But if she didn't move quickly, she wouldn't be much longer.

The Marshtomp appeared to be alright, but she couldn't let her focus divert from her opponents. She tried to grab Deros with psychic, but momentarily forgot that he was part dark-type. She cursed as he dashed forward and almost grabbed her, then gasped as he was blasted backwards by scarlet flames from the dense foliage to her right. Plague turned around and used psychic on Gunther, who dissolved into shadows and shadow-travelled away. Then she turned and faced the pokémon that had saved her in that brief moment. "Who are you?"

"Just someone who wanted to make sure this pokémon lives." the Delphox replied, emerging from the bushes. It had silver skin, and its dress was purple with pink splotches here and there. Its wand had a small flame on its tip that she held towards the Drapion.

"Plague, please take care of this pokémon while I'm away."

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh… Well, that's not important. What is important is that you save this Meganium. I'll help you by altering the Marshtomp's memories of this encounter. To him, you will be the one that saved them. Oh, and I'll heal her up for you to make it a little bit easier. I've got places to be, so I'll make it quick." she twirled her wand, and she watched in awe as the Meganium's wounds began vanishing, her skin filling itself back in as the toxic sludge was drawn out of her wounds and absorbed into the ground harmlessly. Then when Plague looked back, the Delphox had vanished, along with the Drapion.

 _Who was that? Her strength… I've never sensed anything like it._

 **-Roy-**

Valerie smiled warmly and sat down in her rocking chair after Roy woke up and ate an Oran Berry. "So before we can do anything, you have to unlock your full potential. And in order for that to happen, you must first know who you are. So… who are you, Roy? Tell me a little bit about yourself."

"I'm Roy, a Mismagius, member of Team Firestorm… Ah… I'm the only pure ghost-type on our team… I'm eight years old in this form-"

"That is who you are as Roy! I'm talking about Castiel! Don't you remember anything?"

"Not really..."

"Alright, fine. Here's a little refresher." She twirled her wand in front of him, and the entire wooden hut was replaced by a stone walls, with a large boulder blocking a single exit. He looked around without moving his body, noting the bioluminescent moss coating the roof of the cave, which was only about seven feet high, then looked back at Valerie. "Where are we?"

"We're in your memories. Not from your point of view, but from an outside perspective." She shushed him and pointed to the side of the room, which flashed white, then crumbled away to form an entrance to an entire side room.

"We're able to walk through walls here, so follow me." She levitated through the stone walls of the cave, and he followed closely behind. When he resolidified, he saw a Kirlia kneeling on the ground, chanting almost silently. "Is that… me?" Roy asked with disbelief. He didn't think that a Kirlia could look like a male, but he was as manly-looking as a Kirlia could get. But even at a glance, he knew that this was him in his past life. He could feel it in his entire being. _Then… how did I look like a girl after I was reincarnated? And how was I reincarnated?_

A small rippled occurred in the middle of the room, then expanded until a dimensional hole appeared, the pulsing blue and black rings drawing inwards towards the center. Then the Kirlia tossed a gigantic bag of poké into the portal before it vanished without a sound. Then a scarily familiar voice called out excitedly.

"Castiel!"

He turned his head towards the entrance, his eyes wide with surprise. "In here! You're back already?"

"You wouldn't believe who I met today!"

"Who?"

"I got to meet Wigglytuff the explorer! He was exploring an area close to here, and he took me out to get some lunch! He told me about how he was going to open a guild to train explorers!"

"That's great! We should totally join when he decides to do that!" As he said this, a tiny Ralts appeared in front of him in a flash of golden light and stared at him with her hands on her hips. "Castiel, what are you hiding?"

"Nothing." The male Kirlia replied without changing his tone.

"Don't lie to me. You've always been against becoming an explorer. You like working without all the rules."

"I dunno, I'm ready for a change, I guess. It's not that safe to go exploring without badges anymore, and becoming an explorer's the only way to get one without stealing. I mean, I can't hunt outlaws forever without a badge. I'm not that good."

"I guess so… But look at what Wigglytuff gave me!" She reached into her little treasure bag and pulled out a deep purple cape that was torn to shreds on the end, like a tattered flag. Roy gasped and floated closer, making sure he wasn't hallucinating. "A Misdrea Cape…?"

"What's this? A cape?" The Kirlia asked with a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

"Yup! Wigglytuff said to give it to you!"

"Me? He knew my name?"

"Oh, no, but he said I should give it to my 'best friend'. So here you go! Happy early birthday, even though it's not for another two months!" Dawn beamed.

"Huh. Thanks, Dawn!" He took hold of it with psychic, and its purple coloration was replaced with gold with flakes of sparkling green mixed in.

Roy gasped and teared up. "I knew it… Dawn… She and I were intimate in my past life."

"Shh! You're going to miss the worst part!" Valerie said while sitting on a semi-large bed made entirely out of fiery energy, intensely staring at the two psychic-types.

The Kirlia tied it around his neck and smiled. It was a playful, but honest smile. One of the few traits he'd kept in this form. "Huh. It's actually pretty warm. What does it do?"

"He didn't say, but it's pretty neat, huh?"

"Yeah, it is! Maybe it's just for show, but it's really cool!"

"I'm glad you like it!"

"Thanks! I didn't get you anything, though… Your birthday's actually closer than mine, too!" he said while rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"It's alright! You don't have to!"

The Kirlia's smile faltered and tears lined the edges of his eyes, making Dawn come closer and hold him against her. "Cas, what's wrong?"

"Dawn… I'm so sorry…"

"For what?"

"For..."

"What did you have to do this time?"

"Cas…" Dawn stared at the Kirlia with a fiery determination and continued, "What did that Honchkrow ask you to do now? If it was an outlaw, you wouldn't be acting like this."

Roy narrowed his eyes, trying to remember what happened next. But he continued watching nonetheless.

"Dawn… He wanted me to… kill an innocent pokémon."

Dawn stared at him, completely and utterly shocked. "What…?"

"Dawn, I didn't know… I didn't know it was an innocent pokémon until after I felt the others' heart."

"H-How did you not know?!" she took a few steps back and shook her head gently. Roy could tell just by looking at how her eyes moved that she wasn't blind. Whatever happened between this memory and now had caused that.

"I don't know… I couldn't read their minds until it was too late. The Honchkrow told me that… they were evil pokémon. And he'd never told me to ever harm an innocent pokémon, so I thought it was just another mission..."

Dawn teared up and looked like she was about to slap him. "Arceus, Cas… Why did you have to do that?!"

"I thought it was just like everything else he'd asked me to do! If I could fix my mistakes, then I would! But there's no way I…" His voice trailed off as he seemed to sense something.

Roy turned to Valerie again, seeking some sort of confirmation, but she shook her head slowly. "You _might_ not want to watch this next part."

"What do you mean…?" Then a flash of light split the room in half, allowing sunlight to come in through a large tunnel carved straight through the stone, and a familiar ash-grey Pikachu landed in the center of the room with an ear-shattering boom of thunder, seeming to travel through a bolt of lightning like a portal. The look in its eyes was terrifying. It was one of absolute rage. Roy gasped and sunk to the ground, unable to remain in the air as his mind was overloaded with his past memories. "No way…"

The Pikachu extended his hand, and a blue orb of energy shot from its open palm, collapsing the roof directly above Dawn, crushing her underneath a small mountain of rubble. Castiel and Roy's eyes both widened with shock. "DAWN!"

The Pikachu snarled at the Kirlia. "It's just you and me now, Kirlia. You killed my best friend. Now you're gonna wish you never worked for Victor."

Castiel looked visibly angry now. "Dawn…" Then he clenched his fists. "You want to fight me? Let's fight!"

"I didn't come here to fight." The Pikachu spat. "I came here to violently kill you and avenge Michael!"

Castiel's eyes glowed white, but Aaron dashed forward as he charged up an iron tail attack. The Kirlia gasped and used psychic, but the Pikachu was hardly affected. It slammed the side of his head with an Iron Tail, and Roy flinched as he felt the pain himself in his memories. This was him…? And Aaron? Fighting to the death ten years ago. And he already knew who would win.

Castiel went flying across the room, and he stood up shakily. He saw the pile of rubble shift as Dawn used psychic to push it off of herself, but Aaron used thunderbolt at point-blank range, charring the Kirlia's skin. Roy winced again, feeling the phantom pain of his past self, but the Kirlia teleported directly next to Dawn, who was still pinned down by a good-sized stone, then fell to the ground, gasping for breath. "We'll get you out of here… Just help me push!"

He tried to use psychic, but his head injury from the Iron Tail made it impossible to do much.

She smiled wistfully and placed her hand on his cheek. "I love you, Castiel…"

"Don't you say that! You're going to be alright! Just focus on my voice!" the Kirlia sobbed.

"Castiel, please… just leave me..." She pleaded.

"No! I'll transfer my power to you! Give you a chance to survive! It's me he's after!" He closed his eyes and held onto her arm. She shook her head, tears running down her face. "No! Please! I won't let you fight him alone!"

"And I won't let you die..."

He smiled wistfully and used almost all of his remaining psychic energy to collapse the roof of the cave in front of them, forming a barrier of stone between them and the Pikachu. "Dawn… I love you. That is why I have to do this…"

He closed his eyes again, and Roy felt the massive surge of power being transferred into Dawn. She was crying the entire time, begging him not to, but he leaned forward and kissed her as the last of the psychic energy trickled into her petite body. "I'll see you again, darling… I promise." Then his eyes glowed white, and Dawn vanished in a flash of golden energy. The Pikachu shattered the wall moments later with an Iron Tail, and Castiel held his arms wide as he trembled standing up. "Kill me, then… I know what I did was unforgivable. I swear to Arceus... that I will make it right."

"SHUT UP!"

The Pikachu used thunder, and Roy saw a massive black cloud forming above the hole in the roof of the Cave, and just before it launched, Castiel teleported in front of the Pikachu and held his hand on Aaron's forehead. "But to guarantee that you don't hurt Dawn…" The Pikachu swatted aside Castiel's hand and used iron tail again, this time snapping his legs in one blow. Roy wept as the memories flooded his mind, and Valerie sincerely teared up as well. "Told you…"

Then the thunderbolt hit Castiel, killing him instantly. Then the vision vanished, and they were back in Valerie's hut. Roy's vision was blurred from a mix of sadness, anger, and disbelief. His memories were "I killed Aaron's best friend while working for the mafia… And he killed me…"

* * *

 **Oh.. my goodness... Chapter 16 is brutal. Roy and Dawn were together in his past life, and Aaron killed him after he killed Michael. But who was really in the wrong during that fight? Roy killed Aaron's best friend. Aaron was just avenging his death. What do you guys think? As always, I hope you guys enjoyed, and for those of you in school, I hope you have a little bit of reading to help make your monday a little bit better. Or worse, in this Chapters' case. Idk how I feel about this one. :P  
If you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen or what's happening, go ahead and leave them in a Review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	17. Frozen Royal Possession

**-Chapter XVII: Frozen Royal Possession-**

 **-Mirage-**

"Amazing!" she squealed as she flew from shop to shop. "So many artifacts!" she spotted an absolutely gorgeous vase and pointed at it excitedly. It was a mixture of ancient hieroglyphs and unown runes mixed with zigzag patterns and abstract paintings of two Flygon side-by-side, facing each other. "Andreas, come look! This is so pretty!"

"You have a fine eye, madam!" the Gliscor said with a smile. "That's a one-of-a-kind vase recovered from the sinjoh ruins on the desert continent! Extremely valuable! Not even from Immanis!"

"Oh… Then what's this on-"

"Mirage! Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, sir!" Andreas quickly ushered her away from the stand, and she looked up at him as he pushed her gently. "Hey, where are you-? Stop it!"

"Do not trust these guys!" Andreas urged. "That Gliscor is _obviously_ selling a fake!"

"How can you tell?"

"I'm a professional Treasure Hunter. You saw it yourself. What I got is legit. And nobody in the Northern Desert has access to artifacts from the Desert Continent."  
"The King does!" she said. "He has a vase just like…" her words trailed off as she realized what the Garchomp meant.

"Just like that one? Exactly. It's a scam. He'd probably charge you a couple thousand poké for that thing. Such a rip-off. I mean, it's a pretty shelf decoration, but you could probably get a potter to make one for you for a couple hundred exactly like it."

"You know what? Let's go." she decided.

"What? No! I have a good rep around here! I'm supposed to be selling artifacts all this month!"

"Well, I'm going to the palace, and I'm your best shot at getting in. So what'll it be?"

"...You suck, you know that? You'd better be able to get us there before dark." he rolled his eyes and glanced at Gabriel momentarily. "Unload everything. I'll be back in a couple days. Do your best to sell stuff while I'm gone. And try to minimize hypnosis, please. You still forget that Cacturne are part dark-type sometimes, and I won't be here to save your sorry hide next time a sale goes south."

*I shall. Good luck with your ventures.*

"Thanks, buddy." Andreas began walking down a narrow alleyway until they came to a dead end that backed up to a sandstone building three stories tall. Mirage stared at the sandstone wall in front of them and instinctively tugged on his arm. "What are we doing down here? We have to move if we want to get there!"

"I'm about to stretch my wings a little bit." he replied with a grin.

"...Wings?" he crouched low to the ground, then shot into the sky so fast that she almost lost him. "What the-?!" she took off after him, leaving a small dust cloud behind in the narrow alley. She flew straight into the rainbow-colored sky until she could see a hundred miles in any direction, with the sunset to her right staining the blue sky every shade of red and purple she could think of. She laughed with joy, then twirled in the air as Andreas cut through the sky almost too fast for her to see.

"So where's the palace, princess?" he mocked as he floated next to her without moving his 'wings', seeming to defy physics in the process.

"Don't call me that! It's…" she looked to the horizon and saw the massive multi-story structure just on the horizon, opposite of the sunset. "It's this way! Come on!" She began flying, then gasped as Andreas flew past her in the blink of an eye. She flew even faster until she caught up with him, and by the time she was side-by-side with him, she was flying almost as fast as she could.

"You're so fast! Where was this when those guys beat you up?" she joked.

"It was in the sky. Once I get going, I can hit almost eight hundred miles an hour."

"Eight?! I can only go eight-fifty!" (1.)

"You're still faster than me!" he shouted back as the wind in her face began picking up.

They flew closer to the ground as they neared the palace, Mirage making sure not to fly too fast. She might be fast, but if her memory served, the guards could catch any pokémon, no matter how fast. And if they were shot down going this fast… That would break more than a few bones.

Once they landed and got within two hundred feet of the front gates, two Steelix erupted from the sand and formed a thirty foot wide circle around them. While they were disoriented from the giant metal snake pokémon circling around them, four Excadrill and a dark grey Golurk rose from the sand.

*What is your business at the Desert Palace?* the Golurk boomed.

"I will take it from here." the Aegislash from before materialized from nothingness and eyed them warily. "I'll be honest, I didn't think you'd show up here in the same day. Your speed is impressive. Now tell me, Mirage… What is your maiden name?"

"Hiekka." she muttered.

"Mirage… Hiekka?" The Aegislash levitated in front of her and seemed to be scanning her entire body as she stood in front of the massive palace made entirely of sandstone. "Yeah. Are they here?"

"Not at the moment, madam… But they should be back before nightfall. And your pursuers will be dealt with in the most professional manner."

"Pursuers?" she asked. "If you're talking about an Ariados and a Noivern, we fought them off earlier today."

"I am referring to those two. Please, come inside."

She fluttered forward as the two Steelix parted for her, and she looked back as they closed Andreas in.

"Hey, he needs to come with us!" she exclaimed. "He saved my life!"

"...Very well." the Aegislash made a startling whistle-like sound, and the Steelix both dove headfirst into the sand. Andreas stepped forward, and the Aegislash floated between them. "I apologize for the strict security, but it is necessary. We've had assassination attempts on the queen twice in the past month. I've had to oversee every pokémon that enters the kingdom, and personally approve of any pokémon to enter the palace."

Andreas whistled and crossed his arms with an impressed smile. "This place is amazing! The design for the front gate; Beautiful carvings in the walls and stairs… Unown runes engraved into the pillars... Psychically reinforced, I bet. This place will survive for centuries, even if it's abandoned!"

 _It hasn't changed a bit…_ she smiled wistfully as the memories resurfaced, and the Aegislash gestured to a colossal set of double doors constructed of desert hardwood. "In here, please. His highness will be with you shortly."

She nodded and tugged Andreas' arm. "Let's go… And don't get on his nerves."

"Fine." he muttered as they pushed open the gigantic doors. They swung on perfectly balanced hinges without hardly a sound. Nothing echoed from within the massive hall with red sandstone pillars supporting an arched roof forty feet overhead.

As they walked forward, she had to admit, she was scared. She didn't know how they'd react.

Then she heard the voices. "-'s hende?"

"Ja, Deres Højhed. Hun bærer den kongelige våbenskjold." the Aegislash's voice was definite. Mirage faintly recognized the Asmortic dialect they were using. She had become extremely rusty after speaking nothing but english for the past three years, but she still knew certain phrases.

"Jeg vil tale med hende selv, da. Har en klon eskortere dronningen til hendes værelse. Jeg vil have dig til at blive hos mig." the first voice was filled with power. Mirage instantly knew who it was.

"Ja min herre." the Aegislash said. She knew that sentence. _Yes, my lord._

Mirage took several deep breaths and looked at the hallway far off to the right. She saw the Aegislash float forward, and Andreas gasped. "That's…!" He knelt on one knee and looked to the ground in silence as a colossal Flygon emerged from the shadow of the Aegislash. It was at least a foot and a half taller than Mirage, and she recognized him before they even met eyes. And she knew he recognized her.

"You may stand, Garchomp." the king commanded. He was speaking english now. That was good.

Andreas stood up and brushed his knee off, visibly trembling. "Your highness… It's an honor-"

"It's alright. Calm yourself. Heimdall has informed me that you saved my daughter's life. And for that, I thank you."

"Your…?" his eyes widened, but he remained quiet.

The King smiled warmly and looked at Mirage. "I figured as much. You never told him, did you?"

"It didn't exactly come up in conversation..." Mirage tried to play it off, but Andreas looked at her with shock in his eyes. "That's your... father?"

"Yup…" she murmured.

"That makes you…"

"The princess of the Northern Desert, yeah. Surprise."

 **-Jade-**

"You guys _might_ want to go shadow mode. This is gonna get ugly." Levi muttered as the Houndoom began closing in.

"I will not. You two may be skilled fighters, but I will not stand by while you two fight against stacked odds."

"Well alrighty then! Let's do this!"

The twins both scurried up into the trees, and in spite of their crimson head crests, they appeared to turn invisible as they moved through the sparse coniferous branches. Jade and her mother both floated forward cautiously as the Houndoom stepped closer, then Hazel used Frost breath on the Talonflame that tried to ambush them from above. It used heat wave, negating the freezing gust of wind, and took to the sky again. The Houndoom growled, and Jade's jaw dropped as an Aggron, Metagross, Magmortar, Typhlosion and Mamoswine emerged from the thickening fog.

She charged a shadow ball in her hand, then shot it straight into the Houndoom. The Fire-Type gasped as the shadow ball was launched faster than the blink of an eye, then was thrown backwards as the orb detonated into spectral energy.

Then the others rushed forward. The Aggron charged through the snow with astonishing speed, then stopped as one of the Weavile latched onto its face and used metal claw. It didn't do much damage to the Aggron's diamond-hard armor, but it sent sparks everywhere, slowing the Mamoswine and Metagross down. Then the other twin used low sweep on the metal colossus after landing in the snow without a sound. It fell into the waist-deep powder and fumbled to get up, and the first weavile used ice beam from the trees, freezing the Aggron to the ground.

Jade just watched in awe at the sheer speed of what was happening. This all happened in less than a few seconds. Then the Weavile on the ground barely dodged a flamethrower from the Magmortar, and the one in the tree began charging up a focus blast. Jade recognized the dark orange and red glow of the orb of energy, along with the unique noise it made from the many times Atlas had used the attack. She held the Magmortar in place with psychic while the blast was launched, and the Magmortar was down for the count once the blast hit it square in the chest.

"Nice, Froslass! Keep it up!" The Weavile in the trees praised her, and she smiled slightly. With these two… They were unstoppable. How were they so skilled?

 _It doesn't matter._ She thought with a light, tinkling laugh. _I've found a reason to fight again._

Then the Weavile on the ground sprinted straight up to the Mamoswine as his claws elongated and glistened silver. "Let's go, Tubby!"

The Mamoswine bellowed and charged forward, but suddenly the Weavile split into two identical pokémon, and the Mamoswine faltered. Then the one on the left vanished in a flurry of snow that shot into the ice-type's eyes, and the real Weavile sliced clean through its tusk with a metal claw. The four-foot-long bone fell into the snow with a soft *whoosh*, and the mammoth roared in agony. The Weavile on the ground backed away as the Mamoswine went on a blind rampage, knocking down trees and nearly flattening the Houndoom and Typhlosion in the process. Then, once it calmed down, it was visibly staring at Levi. She recognized the armlet on his wrist. Then it huffed once and charged through the snow as fast as a Mightyena on flat terrain. She was about to intervene, when she saw the Weavile's hand glowing white. She internally gasped and braced herself as the Weavile smirked and used focus punch on the Mamoswine's face as it barreled straight into it. The resulting shock wave pushed all of them back at least two feet, and sent the Mamoswine sailing through the air for at least fifteen feet, crashing through at least a dozen trees in the process. Levi gritted his teeth and cradled his hand, then looked around frantically. "Pierce, where you at?!"  
Pierce, who was fighting the Houndoom not even ten feet away, parried its fire fang by freezing the air to form an ice shield on his arm, which melted in less than a second, but bought him enough time to move out of the way. "Right here, stupid! And I told you not to use focus punch unless it's a soft target! You don't know how to channel your punches yet!"

"Hey, I thought that since it was so fat, it would jiggle and stuff and cushion my hand!"

"That only works with fighting-types!" Pierce informed him while dodging a night slash from the Houndoom's tail, then kicked her face in a blur of motion. She reeled backwards and used fire blast, sending columns of flame in every direction. Jade yelped and used protect to shield her and her mother. She felt the intense heat even through the protect barrier, and as she watched the white-hot flames wash over everything, she cried out. "NO!"

Pierce and Levi both tapped on her protect barrier a moment later with a smile, and she nearly lowered it, completely in shock that they were standing in the middle of a sea of fire. Then Pierce held up a small marble on a string and pointed to it. She couldn't hear him, but she could read his lips. " _Icy globe. We're immune to fire!"_

Then they vanished into the flames, which stopped moments later. Jade saw the Houndoom being put in a choke-hold by the two Weavile, then one of them leapt into the air, used frost breath to freeze the humid air into a solid stepping stone of ice, then tackled the Talonflame, grabbed its wings, spun in midair and slammed it face-first into one of the burning trees. Jade simply floated there, completely dumbfounded. These two were unstoppable by themselves! They had an item that granted them immunity to fire, they took down six pokémon, all of which had at least one type advantage, and-

"Heads up!" Pierce flipped over her head and blasted the Metagross behind her with a Dark Pulse, then glanced back at his brother. "You got the crazy lady, Levi?"

"Pfft, you kiddin'?" Levi kicked the Houndoom in the jaw, and when she bit his ankle, he vanished in a flurry of powdered snow before landing a focus punch uppercut on her. She flew so far through the air that Jade didn't see where she landed. The twin did a fist pump and grinned. "Woo! New record! Hey, Pierce, I think that went over a half a mile!"

The Metagross' eyes began glowing as Pierce froze its legs to the ground and replied to his brother. "Pfft, I got almost an entire mile on a Pyroar! That ain't nothing!"

"Nobody likes a show-off!" Levi shouted.

"They do if it's cool!"

"So what do we do with the Metagross?" Levi quickly veered the subject to the pokémon that was trapped on the ground.

Pierce smirked and crossed his arms. "I dunno. Maybe we should torture him until he tells us everything he knows?"

The Metagross' eyes glowed slightly brighter, and Pierce wagged his finger. "Tsk, tsk! We're dark-types! You should know this, since you're supposed to be almost as smart as an Alakazam!"

It heaved against the ice, but it didn't so much as crack. Levi chuckled and placed a hand on the Metagross' head. "That's Weavile ice bruh. Actually, you probably just call it 'dark ice' It can't be shattered by anything less than a Dynamic Punch from a Machamp, _and_ it can't be broken or split by psychic-type moves. Pretty convenient, since you're a psychic type, huh?"

The Metagross groaned and tried to escape, then glared at the Weavile. *You will regret the day you interfered with our plans.*

Levi snickered and draped his arm across Pierce's shoulder. "Oh my gosh, _sooo_ cliché. 'You'll regret messing with us'... Pfft!" He looked up from the ground and chuckled in short bursts. "Let me tell you something, buddy… Heh. If you mess with the twins… You're getting a serious beat-down."

The Metagross' arms started to glow, and Pierce used dark pulse on it. "What, you think we'd just _let_ you get out? We may be old, but we're not stupid!"

Then it closed its eyes and vanished. Both of the brothers rolled their eyes and sat on the barren dirt ground. All of the snow and grass had been melted and burnt to ash from the Houndoom's fire blast. "...It's hot here. Let's find some snow, then let's get the heck out of this forest."

"Did you not kill that Houndoom?" Jade wondered aloud.

"Nope. She used endure. I could tell." Levi said dismissivelyy. "She'll still have a shattered jaw for at least a week, unless she has a Reviver Seed, and even then, that's a tall order for one of those things. We'll be fine for at least a day. And by then we'll be long gone."

 **-Roy-**

When they awoke the next morning, Valerie had told him about the plan for the day. She was going to teach him the basics of Dark Magic, which included possession, draining mana, and spells of bad luck. But he just wasn't feeling up to learning much today.

"Where's your usual sense of humor?" Valerie called back to him. "You're acting so… distant."

"I just discovered my past… But I wish I hadn't." Roy murmured. "I worked for the same pokémon that are hunting my family. That's gonna take some getting used to."

"Listen, Roy… You might not like knowing about it right now… But I think everything might work out in the end for you and your team."

"It might?"

"You should know by now that I don't give others false hope. There's a chance… But it's small, and filled with sacrifice. In fact, you'll be faced with the toughest decision of your second life very soon. Are you up to the task?"

"What will I have to do?"

"I can't actually tell you what happens... It's one of those 'temporal law' things that could mess up your destiny."

"But helping me learn dark magic _isn't_ altering my destiny?" he asked sarcastically.

"Nope!" then she rolled her eyes annoyedly. But not at him, rather… at something else. "I swear, the laws of time are so fickle… Some big things don't mess up anything, but just one sentence could alter the course of history."

"I'm seriously beginning to question your sanity."

"I've always been insane. But I'm the kind that knows what she's talking about. So let's turn that ghastly frown right side up! We've got to teach you possession and draining mana!"

"Mana… life energy? That's like using draining kiss!"

"Yup! Dark Magic is the most powerful kind, but most pokémon are too afraid of hurting others. I'll tell you now: with the proper training, you'll be perfectly fine. You'll be able to defend yourself against any pokémon, and at the same time not hurt them too badly."

"Sure… Let's give it a go." he droned.

"Awesome. Now, this might seem kind of bad, but I've got a test subject for you to try out your powers on."

"Really? Who?"

"A Toxicroak by the name of Talis. Does that sound familiar?"

"Yes. He's the leader of Team Veros."

"The second best team in the Mafia's operative division."

"You want me to possess him?"

"Eh." she snapped her fingers, and the Toxicroak appeared next to them, bound to a tree with thick, sturdy vines. There was a small glowing barrier across its mouth, which made Roy uncomfortable. But Valerie tapped the Toxicroak's shoulder, then turned to Roy. "He can still talk and breathe. That's just to stop him from from using his poison moves."

"Let me go, you witch!" he cursed.

"Name-calling won't make me release you, you know!" she smiled and pointed at Roy. "He's going to be trying a few things on you. If you cooperate, I'll let you go when it's all done. Deal?"

"What's he going to do to me?" Talis asked.

"As long as you don't struggle, it should be relatively painless."

Then she glanced at the Toxicroak, then sat on a tree stump, facing Roy. "Now listen… Possession is tough. You have to be mentally stronger than the target. First, you break their will, then it's easy. But some pokémon… your leaders, for example… Can't be possessed. No ghost-type is strong enough to break them. But Talis doesn't have a very strong will. He is constantly shifting, constantly changing his morals to suit his needs... It's perfect for a beginner like you."

"Will possession kill them?"

"Only if you break their spirit. But you can leave the host body whenever you'd like without hurting them. That's what a lot of ghost-types worry about. It's fine. So here's how you do it!"

Valerie's eyes closed, and she collapsed to the ground. Roy felt her life instantly vanish, and his jaw nearly hit the ground. "...Valerie?"

"And… boom!" Talis exclaimed. Roy turned to face the Toxicroak, who smiled and stared at him. "It's me, Roy. Talis' consciousness is being pushed down to allow room for my mind to take control. Now watch this…" the Toxicroak's eyes closed, and Valerie's body jolted to life. "Whoo! I haven't done that in a while…" she sat up and held the sides of her head. "Aaand I sat up too fast. Great."

"What was that?!" Talis croaked. "I felt you in my head!"

"That was possession, dear!" she said without looking away from Roy. "Now, since you're a ghost-type, you don't have a physical body to leave behind. You can literally fly into them. Kind of like how you brought Amber back to life."

"Oh. So how do I push their consciousness down?"

Talis was protesting to their right. "I can hear you!"

"Precisely why I haven't given you ear plugs! Now shut your mouth before Roy puts you in an unending nightmare! And he can think of way scarier stuff than I can!"

 _Just play along._ Valerie's voice muttered. Roy nodded and glared at the Toxicroak, who immediately closed his mouth.

Valerie rolled her eyes slightly and tapped Roy's forehead. "You need to feel it. Kind of like how I said 'put your heart' into it… It's the same thing."

"So... something completely obvious that I won't get at first?"

"Now you're getting it. Think outside of your normal mindset."

Roy nodded and looked at Talis. "Sorry, but I'm not sorry about this."

He flew forward and phased into the Toxicroak's body. Immediately after the darkness overtook him, he was hit with wave after wave of pure terror and anxiety. Everything in him wanted to back away, but he pushed through it. "I will do this!"

"YOU WON'T CONTROL ME!" Talis' voice boomed in absolute darkness. Roy used flash, but blasts of pitch-black emotion snuffed out his light. He shouted with terror as he was slammed around by the turbulent forces, thrown about by screaming, turbulent winds. He tried to sense where Talis' life force was coming from, but it was next to impossible. He was inside of Talis' life force.

"YOU WILL DO AS I COMMAND!" he screamed back at the vantablack entity. All of his emotions from discovering his past fueled his passion and determination as he flew straight towards a pulse of purple light that seemed to respond to his voice, but was stopped by a shadowy toxicroak that was surrounded by splotches of darkness swirling around him. It raised its hands, and the entire landscape around them changed. They were inside of a dimensional hole, it seemed like. There were countless images followed by blue and black rings of light pulsing into the distance. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was facing a ten-foot-tall Toxicroak made of shadows, floating a couple feet above a giant circular arena in the middle of the void.

"You are welcome to try…" the colossus taunted him, and Roy smirked in response. "Oh, I forgot to tell you… You're in a nightmare!"

"Wh-what?"

Roy winked, and the entire void was sucked into a small orb the size of a marble. Then he found Talis' consciousness, marked by a white light in the distance. He grinned and grabbed hold of the orb of light with psychic. He began tugging on it, but it stayed firmly in place. He pouted for a moment before using the darkness around him to snuff out the light until it was barely an ember. Then he pulled the weakened orb down with another psychic hook. It fell straight down into what appeared to be an endless abyss, and Roy felt the darkness fading. Then he was staring at Valerie, who was sitting on the ground patiently.

"Well… That was different." Talis' voice said. Roy gasped and tried to cover his mouth, but his arms were held down by massive vines that were grown into the ground. He strained against them, and Valerie laughed excitedly. "Lesson 1: Done! How was it?" (2.)

"It… wasn't that hard. It helped that I put him in a nightmare first to make him think that I was fighting him." Roy admitted. He was still in shock from this body and voice not being his own. "I should probably do that every time."

"Definitely. Since it's one of those things that doesn't require a whole lot of practice, we can move on! Now on to the next lesson! Come on out!"

Roy nodded from Talis' body and reconstituted his Mismagius form from the shadows around them. Then he felt his consciousness being pulled into his body, and he saw Talis jolt to life a moment later. "Gah! Please! I'll do anything! I'll tell you where they are! Just don't do that again! Please!"

"Don't worry, he knows how to do it now." Valerie giggled, and Roy took several shaky breaths. "That felt... really… weird…"

"Your mind is still trying to transition your consciousness. It'll take some practice, but once you get it down, you can literally fly from pokémon to pokémon without any hangover effects," Valerie informed him. "It's one of the most valuable skills that any magic user can learn. But… You just have to be careful not to crush spirits. Giratina doesn't like it when that happens."

* * *

 **(1.) The reason Mirage can go so fast is because in Pokemon Ranger, Flygon is the speed trial pokemon, being wicked fast and hard to capture. But in the base games, they're not that fast, which never made sense to me. So I just made her stupidly fast. :P**

 **(2.) This is what I was talking about in the first chapter, with 'magic' and stuff like that. I think it's perfectly feasible that Roy can do stuff like that. What do you guys think?**

 **Alright, that was chapter 17! I had no idea what to call it! :P What did you guys think? Did you like the Weavile Twins? Did you expect Mirage to be royalty? How about Roy possessing others? As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about stuff, go ahead and leave it in the form of a Review or PM! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	18. In The Dark

**-Chapter XVIII: In The Dark-**

 **-Galatia-**

"B, what is your status?" she asked. Narobi linked them through a psychic connection with the assistance of Dylan, and she tried to see clearly as the Beedrill came in and out of focus, sometimes shifting entirely back to the beach they had just landed on.

"I don't see what the big deal is. These guys were easy to take down. I didn't even have to mega evolve," she said.

"Team Virus?"

"That's right. They're the Mafia's lead operatives. I'm about to start questioning. Oh, and I found Alice, the Lopunny in Team Firestorm."

Galatia gasped lightly and leaned closer. "You did? Where are you?"

"Somewhere that you don't want to be. There are grass-types and electric types all over the place."

"...Oh. Well, we all know ice-type moves, and-"

"Actually… I don't want you to know where I am. Apologies if this upsets you, but it was per our agreement that I could retain any information pertaining my location. And I understand that your leader is offering me a more than generous amount of poké to do this job, so I will be polite and keep you updated on my progress. Once I know where this 'Victor' is, then I will do everything in my power to put him down."

"Uh, he's probably not the head of that gig for nothing," Jetsam broke in. "You need to be careful. The element of surprise only lasts for so long. Once they know you're coming… well, let's just say that you'd better be as good as you say you are."

"Don't concern yourself with me. It's their fault for draining their funds on Widow and Flatline. Honestly, it's ridiculous. Over half a million poké to take down one small group? And I won't even go into the laws being broken by those two… their reputation precedes them. Once the police are liberated from the Mafia's control, they will get the punishment they deserve."

"Quit changing the subject! Is Alice safe?" Hydro blurt out.

"Yes. Now if you'll excuse me… I have information to acquire." the connection went dark, and Galatia slammed her wing into the cliffside on the beach. "Why did Cassandra hire her of all pokémon?"

"I mean… She did take down the Mafia's lead operatives in a day," Dylan, the Golduck pointed out. "That should be proof enough. So what if she doesn't want us to know where she is?"

"...Narobi, can you reverse-track the psychic link and locate it?"

The Slowking shook his head slowly. "My psychic senses are not that sharp, Galatia. I could only provide a stable psychic connection because Dylan was assisting me. And forgive me if I am out of place, but it would be pointless to find her now. B has already confirmed Alice's safety, so we should be focusing on finding the others."  
"He's got a point," Jetsam confirmed. "We're on land now, and something big is going on. We can't waste a lot of time. We have to focus on the ones that aren't safe."  
"But how do we know who's safe or not?" Hydro asked. "None of us are honed psychics."

There was an awkward silence as they all thought about that simple, yet completely relevant question.

"I… Don't know." she murmured. "We really didn't think this through, did we?"

"Wait a second… Manaphy's a part of Team Firestorm, right?" Jetsam said with a small smile.

"Yes… What are you getting at?" she asked.

"I mean, we can probably take the kid's badge to that guild in Treasure Town and get them to match it to the team's database. There are scrolls for every exploration team detailing their dungeons of origin and all that. Then we can just find them one by one by seeing which ones are still banished there."

Galatia crossed her arms and cursed under her breath. "I don't have his badge… I presume you have it, Jetsam?"

The Floatzel smirked and held up a small golden badge. "I _might_ have snatched it off of him before he was whisked away. So let's get crackin'."

 **-Nashoba-**

"Leader, where are you going? I don't sense any pokemon nearby." Shinobu observed.

"She is here. I can feel it." Nashoba closed his eyes and felt a small flicker of aura in the distance, then took a deep breath. "Shinobu, get close with shadow sneak and don't let her teleport away. She is very dangerous. Cosmo, I don't know if it will be safe for you or Zenith. She is the most powerful psychic I have ever sensed."  
"I will not back down, Nashoba. She is a threat to Team Firestorm, so I will do everything in my power to..." then she shut her eyes tightly and furrowed her brows.

"Cosmo…?" he felt her aura weakening and gasped. "Cosmo!"

Then she opened her eyes and, with a scream of pain, collapsed to the ground, unconscious. He felt her aura and grimaced. It was a small flicker of life. If he didn't help her immediately, she would perish. Before he could do anything further, he felt the psychic force take hold of his mind.

" _You're the leader of Team Hope? You're terrible at concealing your strength. I could sense you before you were even in this forest!"_ the voice bored into his mind, filled with so much power and spite that his senses were overloaded.

He fell to one knee as he felt his mind being torn to shreds, and with his final breath before he lost consciousness, he gritted his teeth and looked to Zenith and Shinobu, who were positioned on both sides of him and Cosmo. "Run... Take Cosmo." then his arms gave out and his vision went black.

 **-Mirage-**

"I'm grateful that you kept your name, Mirage." the king said as he began gliding towards the hall from which he came alongside her.

"Yeah… Now that I'm part of an Exploration Team, it helps to be called something I'm accustomed to." she avoided Andreas' shocked stare and walked side by side with him.

"An exploration team?" her father sounded surprised, but not as angry as she had thought he would. "...It is your choice, I suppose… But what brings you back? You ran away several years ago, and if I recall correctly, you said that you hated us and never wanted to see us again."

"I know I said that, dad… But I was really immature, and I wanted to be known for something more than being the princess, and I'm so sorry…" she began tearing up and wiped her nose with her arm. "I'm so sorry that I said those terrible things, a-and… I didn't mean any of it!" and she broke down on the palace floor. "I'm so sorry…"

He just stood there in silence. And that silence hurt more than if he'd started insulting her for leaving. She felt absolutely awful for saying those things… Now that she saw him here, being so nice to her, and not even berating her for joining an exploration team… She couldn't bring herself to hate him.

Being a part of Team Firestorm had taught her a thing or two about family. Family is all you have when everyone else is gone. Family is the one thing that won't ever leave you. She'd held on to her anger for so long… But she'd kept it so bottled up and suppressed that not even Roy or Dawn could sense it. And now that the pokémon she thought she hated stood before her… it all dissolved into regret.

"It's alright, my daughter… You're home now…" he wrapped his arms around her while she cried into his chest. "I love you… And I always will."

"Dad… I'm s-so… sorry..." she cried. Then she looked up at him and asked, "Did y-you know I was in the desert?"

"Yes. I was very careful to keep track of your activities. You've made quite a name for yourself. Mirage of Team Firestorm, the most famous exploration team on Immanis." he said with a small smile. "It's got a good ring to it."

"How can you be so nice to me…?" she asked. "I hurt you so badly…"

"Mirage… We never stopped loving you. I protected you in the desert when you thought you had no-one else. We led Team Firestorm to you, after all. I'd heard great things about them, and I knew that they would take care of you." Mirage was silent as her father continued with hesitation. "I know that you didn't want to come here… In fact, if you weren't banished here, I don't think you would have come back."

She tried to argue, but he was right. If she could have left, she would have.

"I also have you to thank, Andreas." the King said.

"Oh! Thank you, your highness," the Garchomp sounded kind of flustered, but her dad just smiled and hugged her tighter. "You brought my daughter back to me… And you saved her life when she had nothing to offer you. For that, I am eternally grateful."

"Uh… You're welcome, my lord. It's not that big of a deal, really..." Then he let out a nervous burst of laughter. "What am I saying? I saved the princess of the Northern Desert!"

"Yes, you did…" Mirage said and turned back to face him. "But don't get ahead of yourself. We just met yesterday."

"And I saved your life twice," the Garchomp said.

"Actually, I saved you once, and you saved me once," she said. "So we're even."

"...You did, didn't you…" he muttered after a moment. "I stand corrected."

"Dad," her mind suddenly turned to her team, and her father looked down at her. "Yes?"

"My team is in trouble."

"Oh. Well… Where are they?"

"I don't know! We all got separated and-"

"I know you're all separated," he interjected. "But I can't help if I don't know where to send my forces."

Then Andreas raised his hand briefly before speaking up, saving her from an awkward silence. "May I…?"

"Yes," the king said.

"My partner… he's a Claydol. And a pretty strong psychic. If you don't have any psychics that could locate them, then he'd be happy to do it."

"Very well. I give you permission to bring him to the palace. We will start our search in the morning."

 **-Victor-**

"Where are they? They took out Atlas, then they just vanished!" he griped at Koumori.

"They were supposedly going to find Vulcan," the Crobat replied hesitantly. "Perhaps he… managed to fend them off?"

"Impossible!" he crowed. "They are masters at subduing opponents. If there's anyone I'm worried about posing any real threat, it's Connor. He's going to try to get to the top of Destiny Tower. If my sources are correct, not only is there an artifact of unrivaled power at the top, but it is rumoured to be the closest location to the hall of origin in all of the worlds."

"Who informed you of this, master Victor? I was not aware of these plans..."

"A spy I sent several weeks ago to keep me updated regarding their whereabouts and such. With your position in our forces known to Team Firestorm, I needed someone that they didn't recognize. And might I say, it's coming along very well. Two more team members down, and soon three more will follow." Then he gasped as the doors to his chamber were blasted apart by a wave of fire. A gigantic Charizard and Infernape walked in and stared directly at him. He immediately used double team after firing a dark pulse to stun them, but he was grabbed by the Charizard and slammed into the stone floor with one arm. Victor gasped for breath as Iden planted his foot on his chest. "Where is my son?!"

"Hmph. I'm impressed, Iden…" Victor smirked and used confuse ray. The Charizard tried to look away, but Victor used mean look before he could. Then he kicked the Charizard's arm, bending it backwards and causing Iden to roar in pain. Once be broke the mean look, Cinder tried to tackle Victor from behind, but he flew to the side with one swift beat of his wings and used wing attack, barraging the Infernape with hits from steel-hard wings. Victor used double team once Cinder regained his footing, causing Iden to fly into several of the illusory copies and nearly body slam the Cinder in the process.

"Are you even trying?" Victor mocked. "Because if so, this is truly disappointing. I expected more of a challenge, given that you've subdued the most feared assassins on Immanis twice in a single week!"

"Yeah, they really aren't that tough if you take them by surprise," Cinder pointed out. "Ironically enough, those assassins don't take ambushes very well. But we didn't kill them or anything. It's not our style. We just wanted you to know that your 'elite killers' sold you out. Heh."

"Well, then… Thank you for this information."

"...What?" Iden and Cinder both said in unison.

Victor curled his wings around his head and vanished in a cloud of inky darkness.

 **-3rd Person-**

Victor snarled as he received the memories from his substitute clone that vanished. He had anticipated Cinder and Iden's attack to be some time soon, so he'd left a substitute in his stead. A wise choice after seeing how powerful they were together. "It seems that the Assassins have sold me out… That's irritating." He rolled his eyes and turned to the real Koumori. "I just wanted those two to finish them off quickly and quietly… But this team just keeps rising to the occasion. I'll give everyone one more week. If they aren't completely dealt with by then, I will finish them myself."

"Master Victor, I don't find it wise to seek them out. With you, mercy will be the last thing on their minds." Koumori pointed out. "And there is no way for me to determine what kinds of allies they have acquired."

"The only threats that know of my existence are Vincent, Aaron, Jade, Vulcan and Connor. And only Vincent and Aaron _know_ that I am the true leader of the Mafia. One week. Then I will personally see to it that this little rebellion is crushed."

"...Very well, sir."

 **Meanwhile, in a Gap in Time…**

Clouds drifted across the bright yellow sky as the sun hung high over Temporal Tower, the light reflecting off of the blue stones as the air around the pinnacle began to shimmer and shine. In a flash of light, Dialga appeared and landed onto the ancient tiles, shaking the pillars that rose from the floor. Thinking to himself, he turned around, staring at the staircase that led up to the five Time Gears, each one hanging from their proper place. He observed them silently, drawing the temporal energy they emitted into himself with a dissatisfied sigh. "STILL NOTHING… WHY?"

"Master Dialga?"

"HM?" He glanced behind him and nodded at the pokémon sitting on the pinnacle. "HELLO, LAPRAS."

"Good morning, Master Dialga." she said with a small wave of her flipper. Dialga casually strode to where she sat and laid down, silently acknowledging her company.

"If I may ask, where were you this morning? I visited the Tower at sunrise, but you weren't here. Were you in the Hidden Land?"

"NO, I WAS NOT," the temporal Pokémon answered, looking out at the featureless horizon as he continued to speak. "THERE WAS SOME OUTSIDE BUSINESS THAT I NEEDED TO ATTEND TO."

"Outside business?" Lapras asked, following her master's gaze to the unnatural sky. "Are you referring to Connor and Vulcan?"

The Lord of Time nodded and sighed. "FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE EXISTED, NEVER BEFORE HAS MY KNOWLEDGE BEEN INSUFFICIENT. THE TIME GEARS HAVE NOT GIVEN ME THE FORESIGHT I REQUIRE."

"...And Valerie? Has she said anything?"

"NO." he let out a disgruntled sigh as he turned away from the horizon. "IT IS TROUBLESOME THAT SHE KNOWS MORE THAN I. ONCE THIS CRISIS HAS PASSED, I WILL STRIP HER OF HER ORACLE AND RETURN IT TO WHERE IT BELONGS." the Temporal Dragon glanced up at the Time Gears, and Lapras observed the altar with him. "Master Dialga, I don't understand... Why have you waited this long to reclaim what is yours? It's been three years since the Temporal Crisis when she took your power."

The Lord of Time only smiled as the clouds shimmered and warped across the sky and a warm breeze blew across the pinnacle. "MY POWER IS SUFFICIENT TO FULFILL MY ROLE AS THE LORD OF TIME FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. I SEE NO NEED TO INTERVENE AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT."

"Understood, master." Lapras said with a slight bow of her head.

* * *

 **Chapter 18! Happy Labor Day to my American readers! I hope you enjoyed no school! So what did you guys think of this chapter? I hope you liked it! And as always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen, feel free to leave them in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	19. Spirits of Fire

**-Chapter XIX: Spirits Of Fire-**

 **-Roy-**

 _Roy!_

He woke with a start at the sudden shout. His slumber had been surprisingly peaceful. _That voice…_

 _Come outside!_

"...Dawn?" he whispered under his breath. He floated upwards without a sound, and he saw Valerie stirring from her sleep.

"Go say hi…" she yawned. "I'll probably be up in a couple hours..."

"Okay…?" he phased through the wall and send a spectral pulse across the forest. The sky was a midnight shade of blue, meaning that the sunrise was less than an hour away. "Dawn?"

" _Hi, Roy…"_ she said softly.

"Where are you?"

Then a Kirlia appeared in front of him, smiling and waving with one hand.

"Oh...! You evolved!" he exclaimed with a hint of surprise.

"Yup!" she said with a massive smile.

"How did you…? How are you here?" he questioned. "Everyone should have been confined to a specific mystery dungeon!"

"I just teleported through it!" she beamed. "I was strong enough to get through the barrier once I evolved!"

"O...kay. So did you go to Luminous springs, or…?"

"Nope! When I woke up, a voice spoke to me and said that I could evolve. So I did."

"In the middle of a mystery dungeon?"

"Yup! A lot of pokémon do it! Luminous springs is easier, of course, and less stressful on your body, but most pokémon outside of civilization don't know about it."

"That's great! Uh… Maybe you can evolve again!" he said.

"I can't do that…" she frowned and crossed her arms. "I can't evolve for a few days. The cool-off time is greater if the pokémon is more powerful. Besides, I had something I wanted to-"

"So who's this?" Valerie walked up behind Roy, and Dawn gasped lightly, seemingly surprised by the Delphox's sudden appearance.

"Oh… Right. Ahem… Dawn, this is Valerie. A Delphox. Valerie… this is Dawn."

"Oh! You're the… Ralts I've heard so much about! But now you're evolved, I see…"

Dawn seemed kind of thrown off by the fire-type, but she nodded with a small smile. "Roy's... talked about me?"

"Not really that much… Just enough for me to know who you are. And might I say, you are absolutely stunning!" Valerie extended her hand in greeting, and Dawn rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish smile. "I'm blind, by the way…"

"Oh! I am so sorry!" Valerie said with shock as she withdrew her hand swiftly. "I didn't know-!"

"It's alright." Dawn quickly said. "I'm used to it."

"I thought you weren't going to be up for another hour?" Roy tried to hint at Valerie.

"I got curious. But if you want some alone time, I'll go back to sleep!" she exclaimed. "I don't have a problem with that!"

Roy's eyebrow arched slightly at her abnormal behavior. "Why are you acting so strange all of a sudden?"

"I'm not."

"You so are," he remarked. "And yes, I do want some alone time."

"Okay. That's all you had to say." she turned around and walked away at a rather brisk pace. Dawn's eyes were extremely wide, and her breathing was heavy and uneven. Roy couldn't help but notice. "Are you alright?"

"Who is she?" Dawn asked in between breaths. "Her power… It's through the roof. I've never felt anything like it. Not even from Tyranitar."

"She's the one who brought me here and is teaching me different incantations," he said warily. "I know she's powerful, but more than Tyranitar? If she were that strong, I would sense it, too." Then he thought of another point. "If she's so strong, why did you seem so surprised by her when she walked up? You should have sensed her from a mile away. Literally."

"I wasn't expecting anyone else…" she said softly, almost to herself. Then she spoke up. "It's fine. So what have you learned so far?"

"Um… I learned how to make shadow entities, how to possess living beings, how to cast incantations of good and bad luck… I think that's it right now. Valerie has been procrastinating a lot."

"Huh. That's pretty neat! Not the… procrastinating part, but the, uh… other stuff."

He simply smiled in response. "Thanks!"

Then her eyes flashed white, and she planted one knee on the ground before clenching her fists and looking up at him. "...Roy, I have to go now. Just… Don't forget who your true friends are."

He mimicked her statement under his breath before repeating it slightly louder. "Who my true… what? Where did that come from?"

"Just promise me!"

"Okay, okay, I promise." he said with a light chuckle. "Now where are you going?"

She hastily unfurled a golden and green piece of fabric from around her neck and tossed it to him. "I never got to give this back to you before we got separated… So here you go. I'll see you again. I promise."

He caught his Misdrea-cape before it could hit the ground, and he watched as its coloration changed before his eyes from golden and green to a dark purple once it touched his skin. Before he could thank her or ask her anything else, she disappeared in a small flash of golden light.

He sighed wistfully, then narrowed his eyes as some old memories returned. "Did I just completely forget to mention my past to her…?"

"No, I stopped you from revealing it," Valerie grunted after appearing next to him. "You can't just go telling everyone about what happened to you! As far as everyone else knows, you're delusional and are having false memories of past events! To tell her especially is a big no-no!"

"I trust her more than anyone else! If I can't tell her, then who can I tell?"

"No-one. Not until I've finished teaching you everything that you need to know."

"How long will that take? I can't keep something that big from everyone!"

"It shouldn't take that long. Maybe by tomorrow? Roy, it's one of those things that could alter your destiny if you mention it. Just take my word for it."

"Fine." Then he began thinking about the different incantations he'd been learning, including healing. Mainly healing. Maybe if he-

"I wouldn't recommend it," Valerie blurt out. "I know what you're going to ask. I won't refuse to teach you… But I really don't think it's smart."

"What was I going to ask?" Roy questioned. He knew she could anticipate many of his actions, but she'd never flat-out read his mind before. Ghost-types were immune to mind-reading.

"You were wondering if you could somehow combine incantations of healing with making a spectral being to restore that Kirlia's vision, weren't you?" she said matter-of-factly.

Roy's eyes widened as Valerie raised her eyebrows in a 'told you' kind of manner.

"Is it possible?" he asked.

She yawned and stretched her arms. "There's no telling. I've never had a blind friend before, so I haven't tried that particular combination yet."

"Then let's try it!"

Valerie rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Didn't you just hear my warning about not doing that?"

"If you had a husband that was blind, or deaf, or paralyzed, wouldn't you do anything you could to heal him?" Roy asked.

Her confident smile wavered. "...Roy, that's not the same. You really shouldn't heal anyone like that."

"Like what? Like her?"

"No, like… You just shouldn't heal anyone that has that big of a… what's the word I'm looking for? I just drew a blank."

"Sickness?"

"No…" she sighed and tapped her chin with her wand. "Darn, I don't know the word I'm trying to use. But still, restoring anything of that magnitude isn't like healing injuries like broken bones or flesh wounds! Even I don't like doing it!"

"Why?"

"Because you will have to give away a portion of your soul in the process! It's a gift to restore one of the five senses, and that kind of gift is not given lightly!"

"So?"

"When you do this… And she doesn't live up to your expectations, your pain will be unspeakable. Whatever kind of sorrow you've felt in the past… It won't even compare to what will lie ahead if you give a part of yourself away. Your soul is the most important part of any living creature. It's what the Grand Reapers judge upon entering the distortion world. If it's incomplete… Then there's no telling what would happen when you finally pass onto the next life. Perhaps eternal torment and torture… Perhaps nothing. I'm not a Grand Reaper, so I don't know for certain." then she took a deep breath, as if she were waiting for him to change his mind. "Are you still sure you want to do this?"

"You're making it really hard to say yes."

"Because I don't want you to," she replied with a dismissive shrug. "But... it's your choice."

He sighed and thought about the possibilities. What could go wrong? Even if she messes up like Valerie says she will, the whole team will be there to help them through it once he revives them. He chuckled internally at that initial question. _What could go wrong… Heh. A lot of things, really. We could all die again… Or I could die before I revive them. There's nothing really worse than that that I can think of. There's nothing to lose from being a little bit selfless. Yeah, that decides it._ Then he nodded and looked at Valerie with determination in his eyes. "Tell me what I have to do."

"Suit yourself... Next lesson: how to cure blindness." she said slowly. "This is gonna be tricky… But I think we can do it."

 **-Vulcan-**

"Wakey-wakey!" Skuntank barked. "We're burning daylight!"

"Ugh… What the…?" he briefly forgot where he was, so Skuntank's voice shocked him at first.

"Come on! Sunrise is just around the corner! We've gotta make some progress today!"

Vulcan sat up groggily, then hit his head on the solid dirt ceiling directly overhead.

"Ow!"

"Whoa-ho-ho! That hurt?" Weezing chuckled. "Man, I thought you'd be tougher than that!"

"Shut it!" Skuntank snapped. "There's no time for rubbing this in his face right now. You can gloat when his team's all safe and sound."

Crobat fluttered closer and blurt out, "Chief, you hate these chumps! Why are you so eager to help them now?"

"Are you questioning my decision-making?" he snarled. "It doesn't matter why! You just do as I say, when I say it!" and as he began climbing to the surface, he turned back to Crobat. "And for the record, I _don't_ like them. I just hate those back-stabbing Mafia pokémon more. And his team's the only shot we've got at getting payback on them."

"I'm right here, you know…" Vulcan growled.

Skuntank just smirked and began climbing up the dirt ramp up to the surface. "I know. But since I'm going out of my way to help you out, _I_ can gloat a little bit."  
"You're only helping me because it benefits you," Vulcan grumbled. "You couldn't care less about us."

"You know what? You're probably right. But then again, I'm helping you save your team, _and_ fight the Mafia. So it doesn't really matter what my motives are, does it? We're still helping each other." he chuckled. "Besides, word's been going around that half of your team's found backup all over the place, which is good news. It buys us some more time to find them."

"Who'd you hear that from? I've been with you for the past half a day!"

"You were sleeping. I'm normally nocturnal. I just made a change while we were messing with you and your team back when you were still wimps."

"But who told you that my team found backup?"

"Wigglytuff. Ends up that the gullible pink fluffball is actually pretty smart. He knew all about everything going on. He found me and told me the good news."

"Wigglytuff came? And you didn't wake me up? He could have fixed all of this! He could've given me a new badge, or something!"

"I asked him about all that as soon as I got the chance. There's nothing he can do until the Police are back to normal. Wigglytuff's pretty sure that the Mafia bribed them into doing everything their way, so once we take them down, that'll clear up a whole bunch of issues."

"That's great!" Vulcan smiled briefly before frowning again. "But you still didn't wake me up. I could have talked to him!"

Skuntank narrowed his eyes and crouched low to the ground. "Someone's here."

"It's probably just a forest Pokémon," Vulcan said. "It's fine. Nobody knows to look here. And why did you change the subject?"

He took a step forward, then sunk up to his chest in liquid earth that hardened around him before he could even respond. He instinctively flapped his wings to try and elevate himself, but they just got stuck in the dirt as well. He tried to push himself out of the ground using his arms, but his actual arm strength wasn't anything like Connor's or Atlas'.

Then Skuntank was thrown into the nearest tree by some telekinetic force, which caught all of them off guard. What kind of psychic type could throw a dark type?

Weezing groaned and collapsed to the ground, shortly followed by Crobat. They both were moaning in agony, with their eyes shut tight. Vulcan strained to get up, then roared in pain as a piercing sound sliced through his mind, like a constant, sharp, unrelenting whistle. He strained against the earth and mega evolved, his panic making his mega stone activate on its own. He was enveloped in the familiar purple sphere, which disrupted the psychic attacks, and when it shattered, the earth around him turned to bubbling, red-hot molten.

He erupted from the ground and used heat wave, charring all of the trees within a hundred yards and browning all of their leaves. He looked around wildly, then flapped his wings, stripping the trees clean of their leaves, hoping to reveal this attacker. But he didn't see anything. He roared and used dragon claw on the earth, carving three ten-foot-long trenches in the ground before breathing a colossal stream of blue fire into the sky.

Then his eyes widened as he regained control. What was that? That wasn't him… He wouldn't have used heat wave. He would have flown through the forest… And Team Skull! He quickly de-evolved and grabbed each of them. He sighed with slight relief after making sure that they were all right. Their same-team-protection shielded them from almost all of the heat. Skuntank grunted and stood up by himself. "I'm fine."

"How about a 'thank you'?" Vulcan asked.

"I'm good," Skuntank said with a scowl. "Right now, I'm trying to figure out what kind of psychic could toss me around like a rag doll."

Vulcan just stayed silent. He was at a loss for words as well. They were almost all taken out within a matter of seconds. His mega evolution saved them. That much he knew for certain. But this time was different… He didn't actually use his mega stone. It went off on its own. And he lost control for a brief moment. But in that moment he'd burned close to two hundred trees, and eradicated the soil in the area he attacked.

 _That felt like when I was hypnotized…_ he thought with dread. He grabbed the small black and blue marble hanging around his neck and stared at it warily. _If that happens again… No. It won't happen again. I won't let it._

* * *

 **Oooooh snap! Chapter 19! That just happened! Dawn found Roy, and managed to evolve! But at the same time, Vulcan and Team Skull being attacked doesn't help, though. As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you did, or even if you didn't, feel free to leave any comments, questions, concerns or theories in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	20. Trapped In Darkness

**-Chapter XX: Trapped In Darkness-**

 **-Plague-**

 _Hm?_

She opened her eyes after hearing the creak of the wooden floor. She immediately used psychic to incapacitate the Heracross that was looming over Caroline. It shouted in pain as she bent its horn backwards and drew it towards her. Caroline woke with a start, then ensnared it with vine whips while Ryder scrambled out from beneath his blankets. The Heracross stumbled backwards, knocking over several cooking utensils and nearly crashing through the wall. It fumbled to get up, and she stared it down while slightly crushing it with psychic. "Who are you?!"

"Gah! Please! I didn't know she was-!"

"SILENCE!" she commanded. The Heracross gulped and closed its mouth. Plague smiled slightly and clamped down harder. "Now, I'll ask again. Who are you? And why are you here?"

"I-I-I was sent to capture Caroline," it stammered.

"Stop stuttering. I'm not going to kill you," she said.

The Heracross sighed, and she squeezed harder on its exoskeleton. "But I will make you feel unimaginable pain if you don't tell me where Mordred and Victor are. And don't even try lying."

"I don't know!" it cried out. "Please, just- urk!"

"...You don't." she grumbled. "Well, would you mind going outside and telling your partner that it's safe to come in?" she asked.

It tried to strain briefly before blurting out, "I don't have a partner!"

"Liar."

She bent its arm backwards until she could see the Heracross's exoskeleton splitting at the joint. "Caroline, could you be a doll and take out the pokémon outside?"

"Uh… Sure." She ducked beneath the overhang and pushed the vines concealing the entrance aside.

"Ryder, can you follow her, please? I don't know what type it is, and I don't want a repeat of Team Veros."

"Yeah, I got it." the Marshtomp said.

"Excellent." She glared at the Heracross, then tilted her head. "You really don't know where they are, do you?"

"No! I don't!"

"That's a shame…" she muttered. "Alright, fine. I have an offer that I'll only make once."

"Y-Yeah! Sure!" it said quickly. "What do you want?"

"I want you to bring me to wherever you came from," she whispered.

"Plague? There's no-one out here." Caroline said. Plague sighed and called them back in. "False alarm. His mind had false images implanted."

 _Do I make myself clear? Wherever you came from, you take us there. And if I sense anything I don't like, I will kill you._

 **-Jade-**

"Oh, come on!" Levi shouted at the ocean before turning back to Jade and Hazel. "Okay, I swear that this is where it's always been! I don't know where it went, but it's always been here!"

"We're on a beach on the east side of the island," Jade replied while looking up at the overcast sky. "There's nothing special about this place. Maybe it's at another beach."

"No, it's this one!" Pierce backed Levi up and dragged his claws along the sand as a sea breeze blew across the beach. "Levi, you forgot that it's not accessible right away. Remember the-"

"Oh, yeah! The shell! It's right over here!" he dashed across the beach and leaned against a boulder twenty yards away. "It's right next to this boulder!" He kicked the sand, and Jade heard a massive sound that shook the earth itself.

She turned to the source of the noise and saw four icy crystal pillars as large as fully grown pine trees burst from the waves in the middle of the bay they were in, about thirty meters away.

They began glowing white, and in the center of the pillars, the ocean began swirling and receding. Jade watched, awestruck, as the waves in front of her were drawn into the crystals and an arched passageway appeared about twenty feet under the water, which split until it was fifteen feet across, exposing the bare sand. All she had to do was float forward into the ten-foot-tall arched water dome. The Weavile twins crossed their arms and smiled. "Told you."

"So you did," she mumbled, still awestruck by the magnificent sight before her. She floated over the water and down the shoreline until the water was over her head on her left and right, but was thrown backwards by an invisible force. Levi caught her and helped her up, sliding through the sand for several feet before coming to a halt. "You alright? What happened?"

"I… don't know." she rubbed her head and looked to her mother. "Did you see what happened?"

"I didn't…" Hazel replied. "Try again."

Jade floated upright and hovered over the receding waves, but was hit by the unseeable force once again. She tumbled through the sand and sat up slowly.

"Uh… Maybe it's a barrier or something?" Levi hypothesized. "I mean, I did see a little blue ring where you were thrown backwards. Maybe you're trapped here."

"No… I refuse to accept that!"

"Well… You could try to fly through it again," Pierce said. "Maybe it'll be different this time."

"Perhaps…"

"Oh, I know! Let's see if we can move past where you get stopped!" Levi exclaimed before darting into the split sea. Then he stopped right where the arched entrance of water was and waved. Then Pierce shrugged. "He made it through just fine. Maybe you really are stuck here."

"Why would I be, though? I can still enter mystery dungeons without my explorer's badge, right?"

"I don't see why not. Other pokémon do it all the time," Pierce placed one hand on his chin, then drummed his fingers rapidly. "I dunno. That's really weird. And if you can't get into the mystery dungeons… Well, there's no other way off of this island. All the water ferry services went out of commission last year."

"Last year? The last known ferry services were shut down over a century ago!" Hazel exclaimed. "At least two decades before I was born!"

"Uh… No, because Levi and I used them all the time. When they shut down, we got word from one of the water pokémon that there was a series of mystery dungeons that led under the ocean. But we still needed a way to breathe under water, which sucked, because we're not water types or psychics that can make little air bubbles around ourselves. That's why we were in those ruins you blew up. We were getting the special item at the bottom."

"How did I not sense you?" Jade asked. "I can sense any life force!"

"I dunno."

"So what's happenin', guys?" Levi panted after sprinting up the muddy slope.

Pierce crossed his arms and pouted, slouching his shoulders and seeming to be thinking a lot. "I really want to help her… But I want to go back to Immanis. Even if it's just to visit."

"Would you be willing to help me a little more?" Jade asked. "Can you go to Treasure Town and speak to the Guildmaster of Wigglytuff's guild? His name is Wigglytuff. Tell him about me. He will be able to provide the necessary means to escape this island."

"What's… Treasure Town?" Levi asked.

"More importantly, why is there a Wigglytuff named Wigglytuff?" Pierce put in.

How had they not heard of Treasure Town? Or Wigglytuff? "It's the central point of Western Immanis, and the town in which Wigglytuff's guild began. You said you've been there often."

"Yeah… But we've never heard of Treasure Town or Wigglytuff's guild," Pierce said.

"...How about Team Firestorm?"

"Nope."

"The temporal crisis three years ago?"

"You mean when the Time Gears got stolen? Yeah, we remember that. But Dialga put the Lake Guardians in place to stop it from happening again."

"The Lake Guardians have always been there…" Jade narrowed her eyes, trying to piece together what the two Weavile were saying. They seemed to know what happened, but they didn't know what Treasure Town or Wigglytuff's guild were, which was odd.

"Who stole the Time Gears? Do you recall?"

"Not a clue. But it was kind of a big deal, from what we heard."

"If you heard about the Temporal Crisis, then surely you've heard of the Mudkip and Charmander that stopped it!"

"A Mudkip and Charmander? No… It was somebody else. A solo explorer. I don't remember who, though."

Jade sighed and turned to her mother. "I doubt you know about the Temporal Crisis…"

"I'm sorry, Iris… I don't know anything about that."

Jade rolled her eyes lightly and turned back to the twins. "It was a Mudkip and a Charmander. Those two pokémon are the leaders of Team Firestorm. I know, because I'm a member of that very team."

"Whatever you say. So what do you want us to do? Find this Wigglytuff in a place called Treasure Town?"

"Yes. Tell him that Jade of Team Firestorm is trapped on Blizzard Island, and to send help."

"Got it. We'll be back in a day or two. It's hard to travel through mystery dungeons any faster than that." Pierce said.

"Thank you."

"No problem! I'm glad to be a part of your team!" Levi beamed. "It's so exciting!"

"You're not on my-"

"Shhh!" he placed one hand over her mouth jokingly. "We are! We're helping you, so we're on your team! Don't worry, we're excellent team players!" Levi smirked and began walking down the sloped beach, into the ocean mystery dungeon, then Pierce followed closely behind before the crystals dimmed and the ocean caved in on itself, and the two Weavile vanished beneath the foaming waves.

 **-Atlas-**

"Let go of me!" he shouted at the four Dusknoir holding each of his arms floating above the distorted world below. They didn't talk, and they definitely weren't the Dusknoir that was with Amber.

He tried to solidify his shadow hand, but when he tried it, the Dusknoir clamped down so hard that it began bruising his muscles. He tried kicking them, but his legs just phased through them as if they weren't there. He had no idea how he even got here. He was being attacked by those two pokémon in the cave, then… Nothing. He woke up here. But he felt alive. He felt pain, and could think straight… If this was death, then it was seriously not what he had expected.

"Can you at least tell me where I am?"

"No." one of the Dusknoir on the right said.

"Why not?" he questioned.

No response. Of course...

Then one of the Dusknoir stopped, causing the others to come to a sudden halt as well. Then it let go of his arm. "I sense several lost souls beneath us." it said. "Wait for me to return."

It phased through the roof of a wooden structure beneath them, and Atlas watched the buildings for movement. Then he saw a blur of motion, but the entire building that the first Dusknoir entered imploded before he could comprehend what it was. Two of the Dusknoir nearly let go of him from shock as the building collapsed, spraying rubble in every direction. He strained and pulled free from their grip, and dematerialized his shadow hand entirely, slipping through the last Dusknoir's grip. Then he fell to the distorted world below.

 **-Nashoba**

He awoke in a shallow, sun-lit cave. Why was it always a cave? He sat up, feeling more rested than he had in awhile. But… The last thing he recalled, they were being attacked, and Cosmo was on the verge of death. Then he closed his eyes and used his newfound aura control to locate his teammates. _They are all here… Thank Arceus._ He smiled and stood up, placing his hand on Cosmo's shoulder while she laid asleep close by. Her life energy had been restored to full strength as well. _Who..._

"Hello, Nashoba."

 _That voice…!_

He fired an aura sphere at the pokémon that appeared behind him, who promptly caught it in her hands and dispelled it without so much as a twitch. "I didn't come here to fight. I want to help."

Nashoba was slightly unnerved by the shadows enveloping her, encasing her in a layer of hazy darkness. He couldn't see what she was, nor sense it. "Help? You nearly killed my partner and I!"

"That was an act! Sorry if I did a little bit more damage than I meant to!" she retaliated.

"That was an awfully convincing act," he muttered.

"Can you please give me some credit? If I wanted to finish you off, you wouldn't be here to throw accusations at me."

"You make a convincing point…" he began. "You said it was an act? Who were you trying to fool?"

"Everyone. That's all I can say." she shook her head briefly, sending blobs of darkness in multiple directions.

"Why?"

"Because I made a binding oath. He thinks that I killed you, and I'm here to find Team Core. But I'm not."

"He?" Nashoba paused, but the shadow-enshrouded entity just stood still for a moment before speaking up.

"...I can't. I'm very limited in what I can talk about. But I'm here to tell you something important. Please forgive me for being vague."

Nashoba bit back his frustration. _This pokémon made a binding oath to not reveal any crucial details about whoever sent her to eliminate us…_ "What is it?"

"Team Firestorm… Is about to be finished. You need to find them as fast as possible."

"That's what we've been doing!" he seethed. "Until you nearly killed us!"

"But I didn't." she said. "Now, unfortunately, I can't _tell_ you exactly where they are, but I can point you in the right direction." she fished a small piece of paper from her wonder bag and handed it to him. She mumbled a short prayer under her breath, then nodded briefly. "That should help. That's all I can do. I hope there's no hard feelings between us."

"What is your name?" he asked. "May I at least know the name of the one who _helped_ us?" He said 'helped' with a bit of emphasis, hoping that he'd sense a change in her aura. No such luck.

"Nope. Sorry, Nashoba. But I'm done here."

She vanished in a flash of light, dispelling the darkness, and Cosmo sent a psychic explosion out in all directions before shooting awake. "Nashoba! I… I saw him! I saw him…!"

He pushed himself up after being thrown backwards and pulled her into a gentle hug. She started mumbling under her breath, and he looked into her eyes. "Cosmo… Who did you see?"

"I saw Atlas… He was being taken..."

"Nashoba... what was that?" Shinobu hung from the ceiling and called down to him. "That Pokémon is dangerous! Why did you not finish her while her guard was down?"

"She could have disposed of us easily. If she'd wanted us dead, we would be."

"Hmph. Yeah, right. Like I'm going to trust the pokémon that nearly killed you!" Zenith growled.

"You don't have to trust her. But trust me. She gave me this. She said it will help us. We have no other leads, so I am taking any help at this point." He unfurled it, and it expanded into a full-size wonder map. He rolled his eyes and bit back a curse. "A wonder map? This does us no good!"

"Wait…" Cosmo touched the piece of paper, and nine glowing spots appeared, all at random locations across Immanis, ranging from the Blizzard Island in the far reaches of the southwest all the way to Mystery Jungle in the Northeast corner of the continent. "Eight…?" Shinobu dropped from the ceiling and moved closer while Zenith ignited a fireball in his hand, illuminating the map. "Eight spots… Eight members of Team Firestorm?"

"That is as good of a lead as any."

"That's all that's left?" Zenith crossed his arms, a concerned expression appearing on his face. "They used to have fourteen, right?"

"Sixteen, if you're counting the Ralts and Pikachu." Cosmo added.

Zenith whistled and pointed to one of the glowing spots. "There are two moving together, so that's nine. Maybe they found each other?"

"The others are all on opposite corners of Immanis..." Nashoba's eyes widened as he saw the dot on Blizzard Island fly halfway across the island in a matter of seconds. "I presume that that is Jade. But how do we tell the others apart? I would like to find Connor first. His strength will help us locate the others." Then they watched with dread as the light on Blizzard island dimmed, and shortly afterwards, faded entirely.

Zenith scowled and dropped his shoulders. "That's not good."

Cosmo closed her eyes and placed her hand on the map. "...No, it's not."

* * *

 **Alright, I know this is a day early, but I just wanted to honor 9/11 by doing a back-to-back upload, with one tomorrow as well. In all seriousness, I despise this day. I personally didn't experience it, but seeing how it affects the adults in my life, it makes me sad. And I'm American, if you guys don't know. So yeah. Rest in Peace, all of those whose lives were lost. I'm not gonna go into a long, boring exposition, because you came here to read a stor, and you see enough 9/11 posts everywhere else. But I wanted to honor it on here as well. Thank you guys for sticking with me through all of these stories and helping me grow as an author and storywriter!**

 **Okay, now that that bit is over... I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or theories about who the mysterious attacker is, go ahead and leave them in the form of a Review or PM! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	21. An Ocean of Spells

**-Chapter XXI: An Ocean of Spells-**

 **-Levi-**

"You think she noticed that I thought she was cute?" he asked as he slashed at a Kingler trying to crush him with its giant pincer.

"The only way it would've been more obvious is if you said it to her face." Pierce replied. He leaned to the side as a Huntail lunged at him through the water, then used shadow claw as it sailed past him, slicing it clean in two. "Whoops. I forgot how delicate sea pokémon are." he said as his claws shrunk back to normal size.

"Whoops?! Now the Sharpedo are gonna be all over us!" Levi exclaimed. "We're on a tight budget, and it doesn't exactly help when-"

"Did you say budget?" Pierce laughed.

"N-No! I said schedule!" he corrected himself. Where did that word come from? "...We've gotta get to this new town, find some Wigglytuff and tell him that she needs help! We got a deadline to stick to!"

"How do we even know this Treasure Town exists?" Pierce asked as they continued swimming through the sea caves. "I've never heard of it, you've never heard of it… Heck, even the other Froslass hadn't heard of it…"

"I think she's telling the truth," Levi replied. "I could see it in her eyes."

"Like how she was telling us that the Temporal Crisis was resolved by a Mudkip and Charmander?" Pierce said sarcastically.

"Now _that_ didn't make any sense. She said it happened three years ago… But we would've heard about those two if it were the case. And Dialga put the Lake Guardians in place to stop anything like it from happening after that."

"What if she's talking about a different Temporal Crisis?" Levi hypothesized. "Maybe something else happened while we were in that temple. We were in there for a few weeks, at least! Maybe something big went down and we didn't notice."

Pierce shrugged and swam a bit faster. "Maybe. Let's just ask for some more details when we get back."

They continued swimming through the caves, the twin brothers' golden gems on their foreheads illuminating the inky darkness like a pair of flashlights mounted on their heads.  
"This is a lot more creepy than I remember…" Levi whispered. "I'm pretty sure these caves are new. And kind of spooky."

"Caves like these aren't new! They've been eroded for hundreds of years, at least! And you've ran through a snowy forest on a cloudy night. If this scares you, you've got problems."  
Levi swam around an underwater stalagmite easily as tall as the trees on Blizzard island and looked around nervously. He was actually kind of freaked out. "I'm just making an observation."

"Well, my detective skills say that we're almost at the end."

"What detective skills?" Levi snickered.

Pierce quickly changed the subject. "You never gave the Froslass back that bracelet. Even if it is freakin' cool."

"And we never asked for her name!" Levi shouted. "Oh, we're stupid!"

"She told us her name already. It's Jade."

"Oh, yeah... Crisis averted!" Levi said with a nervous chuckle. "That would've been embarrassing."

"So where's this place lead to?" Pierce mumbled under his breath as a light appeared way ahead. It seemed to filter down from above, which was always good. Light from above meant either a cave or sunlight. Most of the time it was sunlight. But it wasn't enough to illuminate where they were.

Pierce nodded quickly and swam faster. "There's the warp panel! Let's do this!"

They swam to the platform, and suddenly they found themselves in the middle of a crossroads. A hill with stairs carved into it was directly behind them, a large stone water well was to their left, and a town to their right. At a glance, it seemed super cheery and busy. Which was weird. Levi saw at least a dozen pokémon walking around the streets. Then he stepped backwards as a colossal Tyranitar and a Sceptile with an eyepatch across one eye walked past them and went down a dirt path to their left, which seemed to lead into the wilderness.

"What the…?"

Then the Sceptile turned his head, briefly glancing back at them, but it blinked heavily and continued walking.

"Who was that? That Tyranitar was _huge_!" Pierce exclaimed. "I mean, he was as big as a Mamoswine!"

"Maybe he's the alpha?" Levi theorized.

"Oh, do you think we could ask them for help?"

"Are you insane? I mean, we're good, but I don't want to mess with either of them!"

"No harm in asking, right?" Pierce patted Levi's shoulder and darted up to the two pokémon, much to Levi's dismay.

"Excuse me! Uh… Hi." Pierce said with a small wave. The Tyranitar half-smiled and kept walking. "We're busy right now… Sorry."

"It's alright! I just need to ask you guys a quick question! I was wondering where I could find a Wigglytuff by the name of… Wigglytuff."

The Sceptile stopped walking and turned to face Pierce. Even though Levi was several feet behind them, that Sceptile made him way more nervous than any other pokémon he had ever met.

"Where are you from?"

"Blizzard Island. Why?"

The Sceptile took a deep breath and nodded slowly while mumbling under his breath. "Our meeting was not by chance…" Then he spoke up. "Did you meet a Froslass by the name of Jade?"

"Oh, yeah, she wanted us to find Wigglytuff and… wait a second, how do you know her?"

"We've been trying to rescue her for the past three days. Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah, of course! I mean… How do we know we can trust you?"

The Sceptile rolled his eye and shrugged. "I don't know. Wigglytuff is atop this hill." he gestured to the small pink tent on top of the hill, and Levi nodded quickly. "Thank you! That's all we needed to know!"

"It's not a problem. It was nice to meet you." the Sceptile said with a half-smile.

Pierce glanced at Levi and crossed his arms with a smirk. "See? Not a problem."

 **-Mirage-**

She awoke to a Golurk knocking on the door of her room. Her slumber was surprisingly peaceful. She felt more rested than she had in a long time.

*Your majesty, the king beckons for you in the grand hall.* the ceramic giant said.

"Okay…" she yawned without opening her eyes. "Tell him I'll be out in like five minutes."

*Right away, your majesty.*

"And don't call me that, please. The king and queen hold that title." she quickly said.

*Understood, madam.*

She squinted and shielded her eyes with her clawed hand as the morning sunlight streamed through the window overlooking the entire desert. She briefly forgot where she was. This was her old room, full of all her favorite stuff… Old toys, action figures of famous exploration teams… She remembered now. She was in one of the highest towers in the palace. It used to be a problem back when she was a Trapinch. The Golurk had to carry her everywhere because her head was too big for her to traverse the stairs. She internally laughed at the memory. It made her furious at the time, but now… It just seemed silly that she was ever upset. This place had everything she'd ever needed, and then some.

She walked over to the opposite side of the chamber and looked out the window. She smiled and took in the wind that blew across her face, making a hollow whistling noise throughout her room. It would be kind of nice to stay here for a little while.

Then she scolded herself. I _'m here because I need help. Once my team is safe, I'm going with them._

She sighed and turned away from the window. That sounded really petty, even in her head. Only coming to visit her parents because she needed help. _But I don't want to stay here. Connor and Vulcan… All of them are my family now._

She took a deep breath and forced the thoughts away. _Don't get ahead of yourself. Make sure that they don't die. That's priority number one._

She pushed her door open and fluttered down the spiraling staircase that was lit up by the sunlight directly overhead. She sighed and looked at all of the hieroglyphs and abstract paintings lining the walls. Most of the paintings were enchantments cast by psychics to protect the palace from sandstorms and sun radiation, but a few were made just as decoration.

Eventually she came to the bottom of the stairs. With three hallways branching from the circular room, she wasn't really sure which one went to the main hall.

"Hello?"

*Go right* a Golurk said from behind her. She yelped and turned around to face it. It was practically invisible until she looked right at it, which was kind of disturbing.

"Okay… Got it." she walked down the torch-lit hallway to her right and sighed with relief as she came to the place she was looking for. Her father, Andreas and Gabriel were sitting down at an extremely long table, and three Golurk were standing guard. Two were at the back of the rectangular room, standing behind the king, and the last one was standing to her left as she walked in. It stared at her briefly, then nodded. *Your highness, the princess has arrived.*

The Flygon looked up from the table and acknowledged her with a smile. "Thank you. Mirage, have a seat." he insisted.

"Mirage! Geez, I didn't know you slept so late!" Andreas joked.

"Yeah… I've been kind of restless these past couple weeks…" she murmured. "Sleep has been a luxury."

*You seem troubled* the Claydol said. *Is something-*

"No! Nothing's the matter. Let's just make sure my team is safe." she quickly flew over to them and sat in one of the seats across from Andreas. The Garchomp pointed to the wonder map and frowned. "This thing doesn't do us any good. Gabriel can only locate them if he has something that has their aura on it."

Mirage gasped and couldn't help but smile. "Father, do you have a Kangaskhan rock?"

"Yes… Why?"

"Because it will be linked to my team's storage! All I need to grab is any item from…" then she paused and clenched her fists. _I need my badge for it to recognize me…_

*Mirage… It is alright. Perhaps there is another way we can locate them.*

"No! Don't you see?!" Her smile vanished as the realization set in. How had she not made the connection sooner? "They planned this all from the beginning! They knew where each of us were! Those two pokémon that attacked us… They were the ones in the mountain! The rest of my team… They're as good as dead." she whimpered. _They made it so that we can't rendezvous, we can't communicate… And I can't do anything about it._

Andreas gently placed one of his clawed wings on her shoulder. "Mirage, we will save them. There's always a way for the good guys to win."

"N-not… always…" she sniffled and cried into his chest.

"Yes, always. Don't ever tell yourself anything else. We'll make it through this. We all will. Okay?"

"Okay…"

 **-Roy-**

"Annan osa sieluni parantua tämän olennon- Ugh!" he groaned. "It's all so fickle! I have to say it exactly like that?"

"Yes! Now, repeat after me once more: Olen uhrata osa sieluni parantua…"

"Olen uhrata osa sieluni parantua…"

"Tämän olennon…"

"Tämän olennon…"

"Ilmoitan, että hän ansaitsee näön lahjan…"

"Ilmoitan, että hän ansaitsee näön lahjan…?" he felt a strange breeze blow across the forest, shaking the trees and rustling Valerie's fur. It came out of nowhere, so that probably meant he was doing it right.

"Nimissä Arceus julistan lunastettavasta." Valerie finished with a small smile.

"Arceus?" Roy asked before hastily finding where he left off. "Nimissä Arceus julistan lunastettavasta!"

After waiting for a moment, nothing happened, much to his surprise. "...Why didn't anything happen?"

"Because I'm not blind. Spells like this only work if the target meets the requirements. Besides, that's a relatively simple spell. The more advanced ones took me a few years to get down."

"Simple? That incantation is hard!"

"I said 'relatively' simple. It only seems hard Because it's a powerful one. If all incantations were easy to do, everyone would do it! Then it wouldn't be exclusive to pokémon like you and I! But we're still not done yet! You have to know what to bring out of yourself. You can't just recite a verse and expect it to work."

"I still don't get it, though…"

Valerie's eyebrows raised slightly in a questioning manner. "Don't get what?"

"How do I have the ability to use magic? Do most pokémon inherently have the ability?"

"Well, most pokémon moves can be explained by complex means of chemical reactions and such, but there are some Pokémon -Mismagius, Delphox, Clefable and Togekiss, to be exact- that have abilities that can't be explained by any scientific means. Metronome is a good example. It has the power to unleash Arceus' Judgement, but can also be even the simplest scratch attack. It's a very odd move left completely to chance."

"I'm aware of that one. What about Sketch? Smeargle's main move?"

"Well, the move in itself can be explained. The Smeargle permanently memorizes the last move seen and can mimic it with their paint. But their paint itself… I have no idea how it works."

"Thanks," he mumbled under his breath. "So helpful..."

"You want to say that to my face?" she chuckled and spun him around with psychic to face her. "Go on… Say it. You won't hurt my feelings."

"You're a terrible teacher," he said.

She smirked and tilted her hands up in a questioning manner. "What can I say? I didn't think I'd ever be teaching anyone!"

"You're so irritating!" he shouted at her. "You've hardly taught me at all! Everything so far has been you saying, 'Do this! Do that!' and just expecting me to figure it out!"

"But you've learned quite a bit, haven't you?" she replied with an even tone. "Tell me if I'm wrong."

"I… You…!" he scowled and turned away from her. She was right. Even if her methods weren't the most practical, he had learned more in these past four days than he had learned over the course of several months before now. But for some reason that irritated him more than anything else! She just made suggestions, and he was able to do it within a matter of hours!

"How can you do this to me? You show me my past, how I died, and revealed that Dawn and I were…" he briefly paused, but continued. "We were very close, and now you're-"

"I just taught you how to restore her eyesight. And guess what , Roy? Do you know why she's blind in the first place? Guess why!"

"I don't know!" he shouted. He was so angry… for no reason. His mind was a jumbled mess of rage. He was mad at her for showing him his past. He had wanted to know so badly… But now that he did know, he couldn't ever see himself the same again.

"Because you gave your power to her before you died."

Roy gasped and slowly shook his head while backing away from her. "...No, that's impossible! That wouldn't-!"

"It is possible, because you were supposed to become the Alpha Gallade. Actually, you were the alpha Kirlia at the time. Your psychic power was strong enough to make a pocket dimension, which only _Palkia_ should be able to do. So you were stronger than any mortal pokémon. Even more powerful than a cosmic lord or Temporal Guardian. And forcing that much power into Dawn, who was a Ralts, had a lot of side effects. Her strength increased to come near to your own, she gained access to Moonblast, which is normally unlearnable by her species that early in their evolutionary stage… And she went physically blind. Her physical senses were overloaded. She can see with psychic by sensing aura, but she wasn't meant to be the Alpha. But now she is. And to top it off, she thinks that Aaron is the cause of all of this. She wants him dead so badly… She doesn't care how it happens. She came close to killing him several times while she was with you, didn't she? Even manipulating Grovyle once before Leroy intercepted the attack!"

Roy just floated there silently, with tears rolling down his face. Dawn's blindness… was his fault? _No… That's not who I am anymore. I'm not Castiel. I'm Roy. I'm the one that's going to give her back what she's lost._

Valerie smiled warmly and pointed her wand straight up. "I think you're ready. Go find Dawn, and give her what she longs for."

Her wand ignited and sent a pillar of blue fire straight into the air, and Roy watched as the energy barrier keeping him in exile vanished. The blue energy bubble faded, and he stared at her, completely dumbfounded.

"You could have done that the entire time?" he said with disbelief. His sorrow was replaced by surprise. He could leave this easily?

"I told you, expanding the barrier took most of my power. But as with all barriers, the larger it is, the easier it is to break. All I had to do was wait." then she pulled a small diary-like item out of her satchel and handed it to him. "Here. This is my book of arcane incantations. Do me a favor and study before you do anything huge, please. I think you'll need it."

Roy opened the multi-paged book with psychic and stared, wide-eyed at what he was reading. Even though it was Unown Runes, he found little difficulty in reading the letters. "Telekinetic Shield… Shadow-Holding... Temporal Kinesis? What are these?"

"They're what they sound like. Manipulating time, space and shadows, gaining temporary immunity to telekinetic attacks... and hundreds of other things. Literally anything you can think of is in there. Go on, try it out!"

"Do I need the book in order to use the incantations?"

"Not if you memorize it. But it's easier if you keep it with you," she quickly said. "Now go on! Don't keep me waiting! Show me something amazing before you go!"

"Okay, okay. Um… What's this one?" he mumbled as he flipped through the pages of the book. "Plant-growing spell. Why not?" he shrugged and sounded it out loud. "Kasvaa ja... kantaa... hedelmää?" his voice seemed more powerful as he spoke, but nothing happened. "...Valerie, it's not working."

"You're pronouncing your ä's wrong. It's more of an aaah, rather than ayy. You'll get the hang of it. There's a pronunciation key in the back."

"Oh. Got it." He recited the verse once more, and from the ground in front of him, a small sapling appeared, only three inches tall, barely poking out of the soil, with two small leaves growing on either side.

"Well, it's a start…" he admitted. "I guess it's one of those things that takes practice?"

"It takes confidence. Once you figure out how to pronounce everything, it'll be easier to make the spells more potent. It's tough to speak Unown. But enough about that. Go ahead and find Dawn. If you need me for anything else, I'll be here. And if I'm not here, I'll be back within a day."

Roy couldn't help but smile at the thought. He'd finally be free. Well, free-ish. He'd be able to move around the world again. But this seemed too easy. "You're just… letting me go? After everything you've told me?"

"I wouldn't let you leave if I didn't think you were ready for the challenges that await."

Roy sighed and turned to face her. "...Thank you. And… Sorry about what I said."

Valerie smiled and waved him off. "Don't thank me yet. You've still got a long ways to go."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said as he phased into the shadow realm.

* * *

 **Bam! That's Chapter 21! Nothing much to be said in this chapter. As always, I hope you guys enjoyed! If you did, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen, go ahead and leave them in the form of a review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	22. A Change of Fate

**-Chapter XXII: A Change of Fate-**

 **-Amber-**

She looked up as Basileus pushed aside the vines concealing the entrance. "Good news, I hope?"

"I believe so. I've met two Weavile that were looking for Wigglytuff. They know where Jade is." the Sceptile replied.

Celebi and Briar sat up from their resting positions, Briar tapping Dusknoir's shoulder.

The Grand Reaper tried to sit up, but groaned and placed a hand on his forehead. "Groooh… How long was I asleep?"

"About two hours." Briar informed him.

"And you didn't wake me?"

"You've expended most of your energy shadow-travelling us all to Midnight Forest. I'm amazed that you're awake right now."

"I've got energy to spare. Roy is close." he tried to sit up again, but Briar placed her hand on his chest and pushed him down. "No. You rest. You're the only one that can warp us across the continent without upsetting Dialga or Palkia."

"Unhand me this instant!" he demanded. "I said I am fine!

"And I say you're not. If it comes down to having to fight, then we cannot risk having you injured!"

Dusknoir scowled and shook his head. "If it comes down to fighting, I can protect myself."

"You're wasting your energy. If need be, I can keep you here by force. Is that what I need to do?"

"...No," he said with a sigh. He laid down again, and Amber gasped as a new idea formed in her head.

"Dusknoir, may I borrow your spectral senses?"

"Pardon?"

"My ability to absorb other beings' power. I want to use yours to locate Roy."

"Do what you must," he said with a weak hand gesture. "But I must warn you that it's not meant to be used by anyone other than myself. I can't guarantee that you will be able to bear the burden that comes with it."

"I can handle it." Amber stepped closer after transforming into her human form and placed her hands on the sides of his head. He flinched as she absorbed some of his power, drawing only what she needed. She removed her hands and took a deep breath as the power settled in her body. Once the dizziness stopped, she extended her hand and moved the shadows across the floor. She nodded and closed her eyes, activating her spectral vision. It was remarkably similar to aura vision, but instead of black and blue outlines, it was black and white, and she could sense their souls. Hundreds of years old, and in Galvantula's case, several millennia. Only Dialga's power has kept them alive for this long. But she cleared those thoughts out of her head and focused. _Roy. That's who I need to find._

She expanded her spectral vision and nearly fell over from the mental overload. Using aura was simply sensing other living things as they were. With this… She could see every detail about every living thing. Their health, their names, their specific age, including the day and time they were born… and the day they would die. She saw it all in an instant. She shut it off and began bawling, falling to her knees. Celebi fluttered to her side and grabbed her shoulder gingerly. "Amber? What's wrong?"

"Dusknoir… How can you bear this?"

"Being Giratina's right hand pokémon, I am equipped to handle the knowledge of every pokémon's fate. You, being Dialga's right hand, are equipped to have full knowledge of the temporal tree."

"Is it like this for every pokémon with spectral vision?"

"No. Only grand reapers possess that particular gift."

"That's a _gift_?" she asked with disgust. "Knowing when every pokémon is going to die?"

"Yes. It is required for me to perform my duties as the Supreme Grand Reaper."

"You know, then…" she muttered.

" _...Yes. I do."_ his voice echoed in her mind.

" _Will we save them?"_ she asked through telepathy.

" _No."_

She sobbed and fell forward, propping herself up with her arms. The rest of the Temporal Guardians rushed to her side. Celebi turned to Dusknoir and clenched her fists. "What did you do to her?!"

Amber shook her head and grabbed Celebi's hand, tears still running down her face. "He didn't do anything."

"Amber, what does he know?"

" _You didn't let me finish."_ Dusknoir's voice echoed.

"Wh-what?" she wiped her face and looked at him as he laid on his side.

" _We will not save them. There is no way. But Roy… he can do what we can't. He can travel to the Distortion World, and, being mortal, he can bring their souls back to this world without causing a war between Arceus' sons."_

Amber gasped, and Galvantula rolled his eyes in an attempt to get their attention. "Can you stop talking through telepathy? Secrets are literally the last thing we want right now! Especially since we're all immortal here! _And_ on the same side!"

"Yes. Sorry." she quickly said.

"Now, I'm no super genius, but Dusknoir probably told you that we can't save them, right?" Galvantula asked.

"Yes…" she admitted with reluctance.

They all nodded solemnly, and Grovyle sighed. "Briar already told us. Valerie informed her that they were all going to perish, but we couldn't be sure. Dusknoir just confirmed it for us."

"If I may…" the giant ghost-type began. Everyone turned their eyes to him as he continued. "I don't believe I've told you everything about Roy's importance."

Galvantula nodded and replied first. "All I know is that we can't save them, but Roy can. Why don't you start with how he can do that?"

"He is the only mortal pokémon that can go to the Distortion World and return. And… Valerie is correct. They will all die within the next three days. But Roy, if he is powerful enough, and willing… then he can bring their souls back to this world. All of them."

"Even those that perished two weeks ago?" Celebi asked. "How?"

"If he can activate a dimensional rift into the Distortion World, he can travel freely there, as long as the other Dusknoir do not catch him. They act as the security, retrieving souls that have risen up to the conscious layer of the afterlife."

"Conscious layer, meaning… what, exactly?" Grovyle asked.

"That is the final layer between life and death. For the first few minutes of death, if the host body is not beyond restoration, a soul is located there, often able to be revived with a reviver seed, or by a ghost-type retrieving it. Sometimes a soul finds its way to the conscious layer even after being lost for months."

"Okay… But even if they find their way to the 'conscious layer', souls require bodies to inhabit. How are we going to find their bodies?" Basileus asked.

"Their souls will find their bodies upon entering this world, and with a small incantation of healing put into each of them, their healing factors will allow their bodies to regenerate within a matter of seconds."

"So that's it? Just sit back and wait for Roy to fix the problem?" Galvantula said with a chuckle. "That's too easy. What's the catch?"

"Roy might not be willing to go through with this. That is the primary concern."

"He has to!" Celebi exclaimed. "We have to tell him!"

"I understand… But it is his decision. I do not claim to know the outcome."

"Speaking of Roy, isn't he supposed to be close by?" Galvantula pointed out.

"Nope! He left about ten minutes ago!" Valerie said with a sly smile. Amber wasn't even surprised by her sudden appearance. By now, they knew she'd appear whenever and wherever she pleased.

They all glared at her, and her eyes widened innocently. "What? I didn't know you were here until I felt Amber's power surge! Honestly, that was stupid of you to absorb the Supreme Grand Reaper's power. You should know better."

"Where did Roy go?" Briar demanded. "The energy barrier should have kept him within the confines of this-"

"Oh, I broke the barrier. I decided he was ready to face his fate." Valerie cut her off with a smirk.

"You do not decide when he is ready!" the Sceptile snarled.

"Actually, I do. Because I know everything that's going to happen. But I'm not going to tell any of you! Ha~ha!" she stuck her tongue out, and Tyranitar towered over her. "Listen, Val… I normally leave the talking to the others, but you're seriously getting on my nerves. Tell us where Roy went, and I won't have to hurt you."

Valerie's smile lessened, but she stepped closer to him and spread her arms wide. "Give it your best shot, big guy. I'll win."

"Tyranitar, don't." Grovyle ordered. "If you attack first, she can fight back. And we can't afford that right now. Every minute counts."

Tyranitar growled and clenched his fists, but turned away from her angrily. "I hate it when you're right..."

Grovyle took a deep breath and moved closer to her. "Valerie… Can you please help us one last time and tell us where Roy went?"

Valerie narrowed her eyes, then shrugged. "Well, since you said please. He went to find Dawn. He wants to restore her vision."

"He can do that?" Galvantula asked. "How in the world- y'know what, never mind. Not gonna question it. Can you heal Dusknoir real quick? He can't even absorb shadows right now, and we need to get a move on."

"Of course! Anything I can do to help!" she cheerily replied. Amber's eyes narrowed at her sudden attitude change, but Valerie just strode up to Dusknoir and tapped his stomach with her wand after muttering something under her breath, and his skin seemed to draw in the shadows around him, darkening until it was almost as dark as the shadows themselves. Then he sat up with renewed speed and looked at Valerie, who smiled and waved innocently. Then he nodded once and began floating past them. "Hurry. We must ensure Roy's safety."

"He can take care of himself," Valerie informed them. "I taught him a lot before he took off."

"That's nice, but you do know who's after them, right?" Galvantula jested. "Some of their pokémon could beat Tyranitar, Grovyle and I all at once! But we didn't have our temporal manipulation, and the stupid Haxorus spammed Dragon Dance before ambushing us. So that didn't count... I'll stop talking now."

"I'm kind of glad we didn't fight, then. It wouldn't even be fair if you lost to a mortal," Valerie teased as Dusknoir placed his hands on the ground and closed his eye. Then Amber's attention was drawn to the shadows of the trees around them, all condensing and swirling around Dusknoir in a miniature vortex of darkness that turned the dirt into solid stone.

"Dusknoir? Is everything alright?"

"...I understand." He removed his hands from the ground and sighed heavily.

Grovyle placed his hand on the ghost-type's shoulder. "Dusknoir…?"

"Lord Giratina has called me to his domain." the reaper pokémon said angrily.

"Seriously?" Galvantula groaned. "We're so close to fixing this!"

"Dusknoir, you can't go now! We need you! Tell him to delay a little bit longer! Just until you find Roy!" Amber exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Amber… But Giratina has summoned me. I do not know when I will return. I will do my best to make this meeting swift… But he grows less tolerant of our meddling." Dusknoir hung his head low and placed his hand on the ground again. A dimensional hole appeared in the stone, the blue and black rings pulsing and swirling towards the center of the hole. He looked back once at her, then briefly at Grovyle before nodding his head once and vanishing into the portal.

"Greeeaat… The Grand Reaper has left the building." Galvantula stared at where the portal vanished, then Amber turned to Basileus. "You mentioned two Weavile… Where are they?"

"This way." the Sceptile began jogging through the forest, and they all followed closely behind, except for Valerie. She just disappeared, as usual.

 **-Dawn-**

"I already told you, I'm done!" she shouted at the pokémon in front of her.

"That's not how this works, Dawn. We have a deal. You swore to Arceus that you'd help me, and in return, I'd give you your sight and the revenge you so desperately seek."

"Well, I take back the deal!" she said defiantly. She brushed her now longer hair out of her face and did her best to glare at his silhouette.

"You can't take it back now. You have to finish what you've started. They already trust you. Exploit that weakness. Strike when the time is right. Or, if you wish, I'll give you another option that involves less on your part; Tell me where they are. Then I will fulfill both ends of the bargain." the power-filled voice replied. As he said this, her psychic vision was replaced by colored images of the building she was in and the pokémon standing in front of her. She blinked several times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. "...!"

Then the vision faded. She clenched her fists as the Pokémon chuckled cruelly. "It stings, doesn't it? To be so close, yet so far away from getting everything that you want..."

"I don't want to hurt them! They aren't bad pokémon!" she retaliated.

"They are assisting _him._ " the other pokémon said bluntly. "That makes them your enemy. Everything that they've told you… is a lie. They don't care about you. Not even Roy."

"He does!" she cried. "He does care! Him, and Connor, and Vulcan… I've read their minds! I know that they do!"

"The Celebi planted false images in their head. It was all an illusion. Who do you trust more?"

"I trust them more than _you!_ All you've done is manipulate me and use me!"

"Oh, Dawn… I'm a pokémon of my word. If I say I'm going to do something… it will happen. You will get your revenge on the one who killed him… as long as you continue to help me."

"No…" she cried and buried her face in her hands. "I don't want to… I know that they aren't bad… It's not worth it."

"We all have to do things we don't like from time to time."

"I won't hurt innocent pokémon!" she screamed at him.

"You will if I tell you to! You will help me until the task is done! If you break that oath, then there is nowhere you will be able to go. There will be no second life, no elysium, no… paradise for you. It will be unending torment in the darkest depths of the Distortion World after an agonizing death! Is that what you want?"

"I made that oath while I wasn't in my right mind! My mate had just died! My judgement was impaired!"

"It doesn't matter now, does it? You made the oath, so you finish what you agreed to. That's how it works."

"..." She hung her head in defeat, and the pokémon waved her away. "Find them, and tell me where they are. They trust you. Use that to your advantage."

"...Fine." she seethed. "One more mission. Then you give me what I want."

"Deal." the pokémon replied with a smile. "I modify the agreement as well. And… Don't even think about telling any of them about our meeting. Otherwise, I will kill you myself after making you watch as all of your new friends are executed before your eyes. Do you understand?"

"Yes." she raged.

"Good… Now go and finish what you started."

 **-Plague-**

"This is the place?" she asked the Heracross, who nodded repeatedly. "Yeah! I swear!"

"Good." she observed the small village that looked inconspicuous in the middle of the fields. But there was plenty of evidence that there was a fight here. Debris littered the ground, several buildings were still collapsed… Probably from when Team Firestorm fought them a few weeks ago. She nodded and closed her eyes, honing her psychic senses to detect any possible hostile pokémon. Oddly, there were only three.

Probably _Victor, Mordred and… I don't know who the last one is. It's powerful, though..._

"Caroline. Ryder. Let's move." she said as she crawled along the ground silently. The Meganium planted her feet into the ground and shoved two vine whips into the dirt in response.  
 _What are you doing?_ She hissed through telepathy.

"At night-time I can be spotted from a mile away. I'm about to fix that."

The vines upheaved a small section of dirt, and Plague watched as the Meganium's skin darkened until it matched the color and pattern of a mature oak tree. Even the texture was the same. Rough, dark, and nearly invisible in the middle of the night. Her flower turned into a thorny, dark green blossom with pointed ends. Even the petals had inch-long spikes on them, which were almost pitch-black. Overall, she looked like a Trevenant had possessed her, which was kind of nerve-wracking.

" _How long have you been able to do that?"_

" _Since I've been a Meganium. I can change my appearance to blend in with wherever I am by absorbing different nutrients from the ground. It's a… survival thing."_

" _And you've never thought to use it before now?"_

" _Can we focus? How many pokémon do you sense?"_ Ryder's voice broke in.

" _Two… What? Only two? Where did the third one..."_

" _Two? I'm guessing it's only Victor and Mordred?"_

" _I believe so… But it's odd, not sensing anybody else here."_

Then she grabbed the Heracross with psychic and pulled him to the ground so she could look directly at him. "Where is everyone else?"

"I don't know! I swear!"

 _Blast. He really doesn't know…_ she sighed and pressed down harder. "I believe you… But I can't have you as a loose end anymore."

The Heracross' eyes shut as she honed her focus and crushed its mind with a telekinetic blow. Caroline gasped and teared up as it fell to the ground. "Why did you do that?!"

"When you've experienced the things that I have, you see life differently. He was a liability."

"But he was cooperating!"

"His usefulness had run its course." she bluntly replied. "And at least I made it quick. I could have done much worse."

She was silent in response. Plague sighed and honed her psychic vision again, this time focusing on areas outside of the central building. But she furrowed her brows when both of the energy signals vanished.

"What…" she tried to focus, but her mind became a jumbled mess of memories and emotions all at once. She growled and pushed the whispers down, but they constantly grew from whispers to murmuring to talking to yelling until she couldn't hear herself think. Literally.

"Caroline, shield your mind! There is a powerful psychic here!" she said through the pain. She groaned and fell to the ground as her mind became overloaded with whispers that turned into yelling, and saw a Kirlia appear before them, glaring at her. "So you're the one that sent out the psychic pulse…" she mused. "Pathetic. I wasn't even trying to incapacitate you. But I'm not here for you. I'm here for Caroline."

Ryder stepped between them and used ancient power, tearing massive boulders from the ground around them and levitating them in a circle around the Kirlia, who simply looked around for a moment and scoffed. "You think your little psychic stunt scares me?" she extended her hand forward with a pushing motion, and Ryder was blasted backwards, dropping the boulders from the sky, and Caroline cried out as he was slammed into one of the many collapsed buildings, buried beneath a pile of rubble and splintered she looked at Caroline and hesitated in sending out a psychic blast. "Caroline… I'm sorry." she said as she teared up. "You'll never understand." She grabbed the Meganium with psychic, and after a moment of overwhelming telekinetic power, the grass-type fell to the ground, lifeless. Plague's eyes shot open as the Kirlia wiped tears from her eyes, hoisted Caroline's body into the air with telekinesis, and teleported away. Then her thoughts became clear again, and she flew into the air. "Caroline! No! NO! NO!"

* * *

 **Alright... That was Chapter 22. Lots of intense stuff going on. So... Yeah. I hope you guys enjoyed! If you did, feel free to leave any questions, comments, concerns or theories about things in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated!**

 **Oh, right! I thought of a different side project story thing! I was wanting to know you guys' opinions! I'm not really feeling the 'Firestorm Battle' thing right now, so I was thinking about doing a character backstory collection. Like, different major characters (The Big Four, Valerie, the Temporal Guardians, Team Firestorm Members, etc;) pasts before the events of the story. But not all the way back to the beginning like with Grovyle: Through Time and Darkness. Would you guys like to see that sort of thing start being published while I work on 'Infernal War'? I think it'll help provide more depth for certain characters. Each backstory will be one chapter, but they will be absurdly long (Probably 10,000 or more words), and only from that character's point of view in 3rd person, not switching around all the time.**

 *****I'll have the poll up on my profile, so be sure to vote!*****

 **Once again, thank you guys for everything! I will see you all in the next chapter! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	23. Only Memories

**-Chapter XXIII: Only Memories-**

 **-Mirage-**

*Your highness, if I may?* Gabriel asked the king, who nodded promptly and looked at Mirage with a fatherly smile.

The Claydol looked at her as it talked. *After consulting my brother in the kingdom of Elzetere, I have found a way to locate your team by using your memories.*

"My… Memories?" she asked warily. "How?"

*By using your memories of your teammates, I can recall their psychic signature from within your mind, and use that information to cross-match any powerful signals that output nearly identical energy, pinpointing their location.*

"Uh… I guess it's a psychic thing…" she speculated. _I don't want him in my head, though…_ then she scolded herself. _I have the nerve to say 'I want a little privacy' over the lives of my teammates?!_ She sighed and nodded in response. "Do whatever you have to. I want them found as soon as possible."

*Yes, ma'am. The process is much easier if your mind is relaxed, so might I be able to accompany you to your chambers?*

"You may. Andreas, can you keep the king company while I'm gone?" she asked.

"Uh… Yeah! I mean, yes, your highness!" he seemed flustered as he corrected himself, and she suppressed a chuckle. "I don't want you to think of me any differently, alright? Just call me Mirage."

The king waved her off and began talking to the Garchomp as she was escorted up the stairs. Gabriel levitated alongside her as she observed the intricate unown runes all along the walls, this time on her way up.

"So…" she said after climbing for a few minutes. "What's up?"

*Forgive my ignorance, but I do not understand your question.*

"Uh… It means… I don't know... Has anything interesting happened to you recently?"

*My partner and I are honored to have gone from selling artifacts gathered in the desert to almost being the king's advisors within a day. Aside from that, nothing of interest has happened.*  
"Okay… Uh… I'll make sure it stays that way. I think you two will make great additions to the palace." she said with a smile.

The Claydol's face never moved, probably because it was an autonomous pokémon but it nodded briefly. *Thank you. Here we are, I believe…* Mirage pushed the double sandstone doors open and strode forward casually. She glanced behind her, and the Claydol floated just outside of the entrance. "You can come in," she said with a surprised laugh. "It was your idea to come here."  
*Yes… Apologies, I am still… in shock, as most pokémon say. Prior to today, I could only visit the palace from the minds of the guards. That pales in comparison to experiencing this myself.*

"Well, let's get started. What do you have to do?"

*I must enter your mind and sift through your memories. I will inform you that in order to fully do this, I must use every part of your mind, including your memories and thoughts. There will be nothing that I do not know.*

"Uh… Can't you leave certain parts alone?" she asked. "If you can cross-match psychic signatures from my _memories_ , then leaving the personal sections of my mind alone shouldn't be a problem, right?"

*I am powerful. Not precise. In order for this to work, I need unrestricted access to your mind. I only wanted to inform you to make sure that you still wish to go through with this.*

"Yes." she said. "Just… if you see anything personal… don't tell anyone."

*Do not worry. What I see, I will take to my grave.*

"Alright… How do I do this? Just lay down?" she asked as she laid on her bed, resting her head on one of the ornate pillows laid against the headboard. The Claydol floated closer and began rotating his body slowly, while his head stayed in the same position. *That will do. Now, close your eyes and clear your mind. This should not be too invasive.*

She closed her eyes, and the last thing she heard was the light humming of Gabriel as she fell into a deep slumber.

Then she awoke, but she wasn't in her bed. She was in the center of a sand pit. Her vision was absolutely awful. _No…_ she thought with dread. _This is just a memory…_ but it felt absolutely real as a little Charmander fell into the pit that she had dug. She reared back, only able to see it's tail flame due to her terrible eyesight, but an Onix burst its head through the side of the pit and pulled the fire-type out. She saw that through the vibrations in the sand. _My first memory of them… When I was still a Trapinch…_ Then she was thrown backwards as a Mudkip spewed a column of water into her face. She coughed and climbed out, and a Machop had a bandanna tied around his face, so he looked strikingly like a bandit. At least, from what she could see. But they didn't try to attack her after she climbed out. The Mudkip simply stared at her until she talked. "Are you… an exploration team?" she asked.

"Yep," the Mudkip said.

"Can I join you?" she quickly asked. _No going back… I'm not a princess anymore. I'm making my own way._

"Sure. You have a name?"

She shook her head, and the desert's voice spoke up. _Keep your name, your majesty. I will assist you, should you return._

Then the Onix exclaimed, "Mirage! I think It'll suit you."

She almost asked how the Onix knew her name, but she knew it was just the voices suggesting her real name. _I'm not going anywhere near the kingdom. So don't worry._

Then the Charmander tapped his badge, and an identical badge appeared on her back. She smiled as they welcomed her to to the team. "Welcome to Team Firestorm. And… Sorry about hosing you down with water."

"It's fine," she replied. "I'll shake it off." She was teleported across the continent. She rematerialized in the center of a crossroads covered by grass patches. She felt the ground around her, and gasped as a female voice called out. "Are you a new recruit?"

"Huh? Me?" she felt the vibrations in the ground, sensing a serpentine pokémon slither up to her. "Yeah… I'm a new recruit. Team Firestorm, right?"

"That's right! I'm Rose! I'm actually the newest, right before you!"

"Nice to meet you," she said. _Thank Arceus I'm out of there… Now I just have to evolve and get some real eyes. Then I'll be set._

"So… What is your name?" the Dratini asked. She could make out enough of the pokémon's shape to determine that.

"Mirage," she said.

"Okay, so I know this is going to be really personal, but… can you see? Because I heard from Maris that most Trapinch are practically blind due to living primarily underground in sand pits, since they wouldn't need sight in total darkness."

"It's fine… And no, most Trapinch can't see that well. I'm pretty much blind too."

"Oh… How do you know where to go then?" she asked. Then she laughed at herself. "Here's not the place to ask that; Follow me!" she snaked away, and Mirage sighed. _This is gonna be different…_

Then her memories fast-tracked, zooming by in a blur of motion until she was lying on her bed in her team's tent. She squinted as two new pokémon pushed the cloth concealing the entrance aside, then waved sluggishly. "Hey, guys… I'm Mirage."

"I'm Alice!" the pokémon on the left said.

"And I'm Caroline." the one on the right quickly finished. "This is Team Firestorm's base?"

"This is where the team-members sleep, yeah…" she murmured.

"Cool. Nice to meet you guys." Caroline said as she walked in, followed closely by Alice.

Her memories blurred together again until she was evolved, and she was standing with her whole team in spinda's Café, chatting about random things. She observed a strange orange gem that Nocturne and Connor had picked up in the Surrounded sea, along with Roy, who was bugging Jade with his usual smirk, making absolutely awful jokes about why the Torchic crossed the road. They were all smiling and talking as if nothing were wrong… She missed those times. She missed them. She teared up, and even though it was a distant memory from over a year ago, she still felt as if she were there, talking, enjoying life with her family. She couldn't help but smile.

Gabriel appeared next to her out of nowhere in the Café. She gasped as he nodded silently, observing their surroundings momentarily before she shot awake on her bed, her face soaked with tears.

"I only saw brief moments… Why?" she whimpered as she sat up. "I want to see them again!" her voice broke, and she wept. "That's all I want… Please… Take me back… Let me see them one more time..."

The Claydol simply hovered silently, waiting for her to regain her bearings on reality. Those were memories. Practically a dream at this point. She never thought she'd prefer dreams over reality, but those times were so perfect compared to her life now. Constantly reminded of her failure. That her best friends were all dead…

*Mirage, I've acquired the information necessary to locate your team. Whenever you are ready, I will be with Andreas and the King.*

"Thank you." she said. That's all she could manage. She had to remind herself that this was reality. Even if those visions only lasted for a few minutes, it felt as though half her life had been lived.

"Just memories… Of better times." _It's up to me… I have to make sure we can have those times again. Even if some of them are gone… I won't let them be forgotten._

 **-Roy-**

He smiled and whistled as he floated through the forest, looking for Dawn. He'd sensed several strong psychic bursts around here, but it could have been any fully evolved psychic, honestly. He'd read up on a few different spells that he'd found useful, as well as the pronunciation guide on the last two pages of Valerie's little spellbook. That helped a lot.

He glanced at the spellbook, looking for anything specific for a forest, like making the trees blossom, or making them animate beings… So far, nothing. But there were hundreds of spells that he had yet to even read. "Whatever. Let's just find…" He felt the wind shift around him out of the blue and turned around on a dime. He gasped as he stared directly into Soulburner's pupil-less yellow eyes.

"Hello, little ghost…" the Chandelure cackled.

He stared at the purple flames in front of him, being drawn in against his will, just like last time.

"Hm-hm-hm-ha-ha-ha! Oh, my little Roy… Your spirit is so much stronger than the last time we met! But this time, there's no-one to help you…"

"We… met two days ago…" he managed to say.

The Chandelure stopped the hypnotic effect and scowled. "We did? Oooh, you mean when the Delphox came to your rescue… That doesn't count."

Roy opened his book with psychic and blasted Soulburner back with a dark pulse in that crucial moment, rapidly flipping through the pages, trying to find something useful. "Uh… Kilpi!" he exclaimed as Soulburner used fire blast, launching a massive star-shaped fireball. As he said this, a spark of light appeared in front of him and expanded into a glimmering bubble, absorbing the attack in its entirety, snuffing out the flames and vanishing. Soulburner's eyebrows shot up as Roy floated forward, completely unaffected.

He subconsciously noted that using spells took up some of his energy. His mind went out of focus for a second after speaking. So he'd have to rely on his old moves most of the time. Either that, or it just takes training before he can use multiple spells. He hoped the latter of the two.

"You've picked up a few tricks, I see…" the Chandelure growled.

"Are you fireproof again?" Roy asked.

"Why don't you burn me and find out?"

"An invitation?" Roy asked with fake delight. "I'll have to pass this time. I'm looking for someone right now, so… yeah. See you 'round." Roy smirked and phased into shadows, but indigo chains formed out of the nothingness and dragged him back into reality.

"You think you'll just walk away from me?!" Soulburner raged.

"I don't walk. I float." Roy said. _That disruption in the shadow realm should have alerted him by now… Come on… I just have to buy a single minute._

The Chandelure smirked and held Roy tighter with his psychic. "I'll give you that one. That was pretty funny."

"I'm just stating the obvious. So what is your problem with me? I didn't do anything to you."

"Oh, I don't have a problem with you. You just have something I want. Or, rather, something I need."

"I don't have anything of value…" Roy said.

"Oh, right… You don't know." Soulburner activated the hypnotic effect and grabbed Roy's spellbook from his bag. "You see… I need your soul." he tossed it aside and lobbed a fireball at it, burning as bright as a bonfire once it hit the book. "You won't be needing this once I'm finished! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Roy's focus became hazy as the Chandelure's flames swirled in a hypnotic pattern, putting a blindfold over his mind. "No… Have to…"

"Resistance is useless, you know that. Even as skilled as you are, I am a natural predator to any ghost!"

"Are you sure of that?" Dusknoir emerged from the shadows of the forest and raised his arm, releasing Roy from his bonds and negating the hypnotic effect of the fire. Soulburner growled and turned to face him while Roy fell to the ground, too exhausted to move. "Dusknoir! You look so strong… I'll just have to burn you instead!"

Dusknoir scowled and swung his arm in a diagonally upward motion, causing the shadows cast by the trees to peel off of the forest floor and condense into a single curved blade that sliced straight through the Chandelure's arms in no more than a split moment. Even Roy was caught by surprise at how quickly it happened.

"...!" Soulburner gasped and fell to the ground as Dusknoir casually floated forward. "Do you know who I am, Chandelure?"

Soulburner attempted to draw the shadows into himself to heal, but Dusknoir closed his fist, and the shadows that touched the Chandelure hissed and steamed against his skin, forming massive corrosion scars and welts all across his body.

"I am not in a playing mood. Your crimes against the Distortion World surpass that of any mortal in history. Now I will ask again: Do you know who I am?"

"You're just a Dusknoir- urk!" Soulburner grunted in pain as his spectral blood stained the ground around him.

"Wrong. I am the Supreme Grand Reaper, the right hand of Lord Giratina. He has ordered me to eliminate you by any means necessary, and by order of the Third Son of Arceus, you are condemned to the Distortion World until the end of time itself."

Soulburner's eyes widened, and he phased into the shadow dimension in an attempt to escape, but Dusknoir slammed his fist into the ground where he disappeared, piercing the shadow realm and grabbing the Chandelure's head, pulling him back into reality, ignoring the indigo flames lapping up his arm from the Chandelure's head. Dusknoir threw him to the ground and opened his stomach-mouth. "Now you will feel the pain you've inflicted upon so many others. The time has come for you to pay for what you've done." Then Dusknoir looked at Roy and smiled slightly. "Take care, Roy."

He was silent as Dusknoir's stomach-mouth drew Soulburner's entire being in like a black hole, absorbing his spirit with an agonizing wail, and the grim reaper pokémon's mouth shut with a swift and decisive snap.

 _How… He just defeated Soulburner in a matter of seconds…._

Dusknoir picked up Roy's spellbook from the ground, and as expected, it was completely unaffected. Not even soot was collected on the pages. Valerie probably thought about making it fireproof. The heavyset ghost-type tossed it to him and phased into shadows, disappearing into the trees.

"...What just happened?" he said as he drew the shadows of the trees into himself.

* * *

 **Well, then... That just happened. Dusknoir don't play around. And Mirage just relived her past. That's gotta be tough. Anywho, thanks for the feedback about the character backstory things! I've decided to wait until 'Infernal War' is finished to start publishing that one.**

 **As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! (Especially Soulburner getting absolutely destroyed) If you did, or didn't, feel free to leave any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	24. The Hidden Kingdom

**-Chapter XXIV: The Hidden Kingdom-**

 **-Nashoba-**

They rushed through the snow-covered forest, in hot pursuit of Rogue and her band of pokémon. The Houndoom snarled and used smog, bellowing a cloud of poisonous gas between them. Nashoba simply ran through it due to the extreme increased ratio of iron in his blood. His new steel-typing made him immune to every type of poison and poison-type move. He charged up an aura sphere and launched it at Rogue through the cloud of smog, but the Houndoom leapt to the side and began running, using quick attack to put some distance between them. Nashoba growled as the Aggron and Magmortar stepped between them.

"Cosmo, slow them down!"

The Kirlia teleported ahead of them, and Nashoba felt a surge of psychic energy pulse throughout the entire forest. Shinobu vanished into the shadows of the trees and leapt out of a tree in the distance, using water shuriken on the Magmortar, impaling it with solidified liquid. It fell to the ground a moment later, and Nashoba shot an aura sphere at an Aggron that charged at him.

"This what you had in mind while looking for her?" Zenith asked while kneeing the Aggron's chest with so much force that its armor cracked and dented. It roared in pain, and the Blaziken bellowed a flamethrower directly into its face. It stumbled backwards and tripped over Shinobu's substitute clone, while the real Greninja used extrasensory to force it into the snow, then blasted it with boiling water that hissed and steamed in the freezing cold air, cracking and shattering the metal armor of the steel-type because of the temperature differential.

Nashoba nodded and used extremespeed to sprint across the forest and use force palm on the Houndoom mid-stride, who lunged at Cosmo while she held down the Magmortar. He broke her neck with the force of the blow, and she fell to the ground, completely limp. He gasped and covered his mouth as he saw her aura die out. _Arceus, what have I done…?_

He looked away when Cosmo cried out. "No!"

He ran to her side and slammed his fist against the nearest pine tree. "...!"

Cosmo buried her head in his fur, and he looked away to avoid looking at the blood-stained snow, where two Froslass laid motionless next to each other.

"Nashoba… It's her…" Cosmo wept.

He sighed and looked back at Rogue's body, then clenched his fists, which crackled with his aura, amplified by his rage. "There's nothing we can do for her now."

He took a deep breath and launched another Aura Sphere at the Houndoom, this time tearing straight through her torso, confirming it wasn't a substitute or double team illusion. He shouted and used bone rush on the trees around him, snapping them like twigs, completely consumed by rage until Cosmo held him still. "Nashoba! Stop!"

Then his eyes shot open. "Cosmo…! Forgive me, I… I don't know what came over me..."

Then he winced as sharp claws raked down his back. He activated his aura vision and slammed the end of his bone staff into the pokémon's chest in the blink of an eye, sending it flying backwards. Shinobu dodged a second Weavile that leapt out of the trees, then parried its slash attacks with water shurikens held in his hands, eventually landing a kick on the Weavile's leg, disabling it. They were both downed, and Nashoba grabbed one by its neck and slammed it against one of the coniferous snow-covered trees, shaking a bit of snow off of the branches. "Who are you?!"

"We're the twins!" the substitute clone vanished, and the Weavile slashed across his backside again. He growled and used force palm, sending a shockwave through the air and knocking the dark-type off balance.

"So who are you?" the Weavile asked.

"Nashoba, the leader of Team Hope."

"And why'd you kill Jade and her mother? Huh?" the one nearest him asked.

"Wh… what are you talking about? We were trying to save her!"

"Ooooh… That makes sense. That explains why the Houndoom's all exploded and stuff." he snickered. "Sorry about attacking you. We're trying to save her too. But I guess we're too late."

Shinobu grunted and released the other Weavile from a chokehold and brushed the snow off of his shoulders. "You know them?"

"Yeah, Jade was really cute. Her attitude wasn't the best, but I could deal with it."

Then four more pokémon emerged out of the woods without preamble. A Tyranitar, pitch-black Charizard, Galvantula and a Sceptile with an eyepatch.

"Who are you?" Nashoba asked warily. He didn't sense any hostility within these pokémon. In fact, they were all radiating immense power. Far more than normal for their species.  
The Charizard spoke up first. "We are the pokémon who are trying to save Team Firestorm."

"But you are not Team Core…" he murmured. "State your identities. Are you an official exploration team?"

"We are the Insurgo, a group of pokémon whose mission is to protect this team."

"How can I trust your word?" Nashoba asked.

"Your psychic can read our minds. We do not have a psychic to implant false memories, so she can determine the truth for you."

Cosmo's eyes flashed white, then she glanced at Nashoba. "They are who they say."

"Very well. What are your names?"

"I am Amber," the Charizard began.

"Galvantula."

"Tyranitar."

"Basileus," the Sceptile finished. "What are your names?"

"I am Nashoba. This is Cosmo." he said.

"I am Shinobu," the Greninja said whilst hanging upside-down from one of the trees' branches.

"Zenith." the Blaziken said quickly as he glanced at Nashoba. "We met the Charizard in the café after Team Firestorm saved the world again, remember?"

"Ah, yes… I do recall that now."

Amber walked over to the two Froslass slowly and placed her hands on both of them. They both were surrounded by a light green aura, then a wave of turquoise-green washed over everything. Nashoba's senses went through the roof as the turquoise energy expanded across the forest. He turned around and saw the green outlines of Two Froslass materializing out of shadows behind them, one of them crying, and the other with a determined look in her eyes.

"What is this?!" Nashoba exclaimed.

"A Temporal Echo," the Charizard explained. "A vision of the past. I wish to see what happened here."

"How are you doing this?" he exclaimed as the two Froslass flew through the forest, being chased by the Houndoom.

"I am a pokémon of many gifts," she replied.

Nashoba scowled and watched silently as the events unfolded before them. The Houndoom cornered the two Froslass with the Magmortar, Aggron and Mamoswine while a Kirlia appeared next to her and appeared to lock them in the physical dimension.

Then the Froslass on the left used blizzard, sending a wave of freezing wind in every direction. The Houndoom leapt at her, but the second Froslass flew between them and took the fire fang herself. As she fell to the ground, a look of agony was on her face while the other froslass cried over her body. Cosmo shook her head and sobbed. "How can my kind do this...?"

Nashoba watched in horror as the Kirlia emitted a powerful psychic blast and killed the second froslass in the blink of an eye. Right where their bodies were in reality. Then the Kirlia waved the group off, and they all went back to where his team had found them.

The green hue faded, and all four of the Insurgo were silent. The Charizard and Galvantula had tears in their eyes.

Then the Charizard murmured something under her breath, and the two pokémon melted into shadows.

"I demand to know who you truly are," he said. "You are no ordinary pokémon."

"You're right. We're on the same side here…" she glanced at the Sceptile, who nodded silently, and she took a deep breath. "We are the Temporal Guardians, sent by Dialga to save this team from certain death."

"Oh." was all he could say at the moment. He knelt on one knee and tilted his head down as he realized who they were. "I humbly ask for your forgiveness. I did not-"

"There is no need for that," Amber said. "How do you know we tell the truth?"

"Your images are painted within the ruins in the Northern Desert. I am familiar with many ancient writings depicting immortal pokémon that control time, space and shadows. Each of you are mentioned at least once."

"Well, that saves a lot of arguing," Galvantula said. "But we need to head back to the mainland. The rest of the Insurgo is waiting for us."

 **-Vulcan-**

"Seriously? No. No way! We're not going there! That's where you guys got separated!" Skuntank reminded him. "And I don't want to deal with harboring a fugitive right now. I want to stay low until we get some sense knocked into the police."

"But I know Connor's there now! I can feel it!"

"...Not saying believe you, but how can you 'feel' where he is?"

"I just know! It's a link that Dawn put into us! We can sense certain things about each other!"

"Dawn?" Skuntank asked. "Who's that?"

"A Ralts that joined our team a couple weeks ago."

"Huh. Okay, so it's not completely impossible…" Skuntank theorized. "But you do know that the Mafia will have operatives looking everywhere. Treasure Town is literally your team's base of operations. So I don't think we can go there without setting off some red flags."

"The Mafia won't mess with us directly while there are witnesses," Vulcan said. "It's not how they work. They try to stay out of trouble with the police regarding civilian pokémon."

"You seriously want to go back a second time?" Crobat asked.

"You've got nothing to lose, right?" Vulcan mocked.

"I don't want to _die,_ " Skuntank growled. "That's my biggest concern. That's why we're playing it safe."

"I don't want to play it safe! My team is being hunted down while we…" he paused as he felt the ground tremble beneath them. "Skuntank, move!" Vulcan pushed Skuntank back with a gust of wind as a Steelix erupted from the ground beneath them, shaking the trees around them and making it rain apples and berries for a moment when it landed on the ground.

Two Excadrill, a Sandslash and a Rhydon stepped off of the Steelix' back, each of them bearing some sort of symbol on the right side of their chest.

"Are you Vulcan?" the Sandslash asked. "We are with Mirage."

"Y-Yes!" he said. _Where did they come from?!_

"Come with us. We will bring you to a location hidden from the Pokémon Mafia."

"Wha-?! How? I _can't_ leave Skuntank's team!"

"...Then they will have to come with us," the Sandslash said. "If you would follow us, please?" Vulcan began walking after them, and Skuntank stopped them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on! Vulcan, how do we know we can we trust these guys?"

"Because they said that they're with Mirage before I even said anything. No-one from the Mafia would think to say that right out of the gate, and they certainly wouldn't want your team to to tag along. They'd want me by myself. Plus there's a Steelix here. It could just slam into us and we'd be dead. But they haven't told it to do anything yet."

"Uh, I think you're forgetting that the mafia have scouts everywhere!" Crobat exclaimed.

"Yeah! I don't want to go anywhere unless I know where we're going!" Weezing added on.

"We are going to the far reaches of the Northern Desert. The King of the sands has sent his forces all across the continent in search of Team Firestorm to put them beneath his protection. You will all be safe there." the Rhydon said without hesitation.

Vulcan nodded and moved closer to the Steelix, still in awe of how massive it was. Its head was twice as big as he was, and every breath was filled with power. "Sounds good. Skuntank?"

"...Fine. Beats going to Treasure Town, I guess."

"Excellent. Climb aboard, please." the Rhydon climbed onto the Steelix' back, and they all scaled up shortly afterwards. The Sandslash and Excadrill burrowed into the ground, and the Steelix did a one-eighty, knocking down every tree within range of its tail, and dove into the hole from which it came. Vulcan instinctively ducked down as it burrowed through the earth, and, surprisingly, its head formed a shield from the dirt, so he wasn't being pelted by rock-hard soil the entire time.

"So what're we gonna do once we get there?" Skuntank shouted over the noise of the seelix boring through the earth. "Just wait for this 'king' to fix our problems?"

"No. He is simply providing a safe haven for Team Firestorm per the request of the princess." the Rhydon said. "All further details will be explained after your arrival."

"What details? We're going to be protected, but we still have to fight our own battles? Those Mafia punks are still out there, and they won't stop until we're gone! All your king is doing is drawing them to you!" Skuntank said. "What's his plan for when they come knocking down your front door?"

"The desert is our home," the Rhydon replied. "Every pokémon in the kingdom will fight to protect what is theirs. We will not be defeated by the likes of foreigners."

"So can I just ask something real quick? How long has there been a kingdom in the Northern Desert?" Vulcan asked. "I've never heard of it, and my team has explored almost every inch of it!"

"The Kingdom of the Sands has existed for many millennia. Its existence is known only by those who live there, as well as select exploration teams."

"How can you keep an entire kingdom hidden for thousands of years?" he questioned. "That sounds pretty impossible, given how popular the desert is since the time gear was located there."

"It is not my place to explain anything further."

"You just don't know how..." he muttered. then he held onto the Steelix' back as it took a sharp turn straight up and burst through the surface. He closed his eyes as the harsh sunlight beat down on his head. He nearly fell off of its back as it landed on top of the sand, but he held on and squinted almost to the point that his eyes were shut. The sunlight reflecting off of the sand was blinding. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't. "How can you guys see?"

"We are adapted to the harsh conditions of the desert," the Rhydon replied as it pulled four pairs of goggles out of its bag. "Here. You can wear these until your eyes adjust." it handed them each one pair, and Vulcan's jaw dropped at the awe-inspiring sight before him. A palace as tall as Temporal Tower and at least four times as big stood before him, constructed out of different-colored sandstone textured and marked with unown runes and hieroglyphs, as well as abstract artwork of two Flygon holding some sort of gem, facing each other. The walls themselves were incredible, not to mention the other architecture involved. The entrance was easily twenty feet tall, with double wooden doors that arched at the top into a small, rounded point. There were three central towers within the walls that he could see, with the one closest to him being the tallest, probably close to three hundred feet high. He turned to Skuntank, who observed it all with a neutral expression. But Crobat and Weezing were awestruck.

The double doors opened as the Steelix snaked closer, and when they entered the walls, it was entirely different from the plain sand outside. There were countless shops and homes stacked on top of each other in square, almost cubic patterns, with just about every desert pokémon you could think of bustling about through the surprisingly spacious streets. The homes had large, circular, open windows that looked like makeshift doors. A Skarmory flew out of one and landed on the roof of one of the shops, and Vulcan just gasped. "How in the world is all of this undiscovered…?"

The Steelix stopped, and the Rhydon jumped off. "Follow me."

Vulcan dropped off of the Steelix, who promptly took off after Skuntank tumbled off of its back, and began following the Rhydon through the central market. Vulcan observed everything around him with awe, only stopping once when a Rhyperior growled at him. Skuntank snarled back, and the Rhyperior scowled, but walked away.

Vulcan glanced back at him and suppressed a small laugh. "What was that? You just intimidated a Rhyperior?"

"Yeah. I can be scary. You punks just got lucky and aren't scared of me anymore."

"Lucky? We beat you twice! And one time you ran!"

"Beside the point!" Skuntank interjected. "Just don't lose the Rhydon!"

Vulcan picked up the pace until he was right behind the rock-type. They followed him until they came to a colossal building with gigantic double wooden doors. An Aegislash materialized from the sand and stared them down. "Vulcan Roarke?"

"Yeah. How do you know my last name?"

The Aegislash ignored him and looked at Team Skull. "Skuntank, Crobat and Weezing… Who are you?"

"We're Team Skull. We're with Vulcan," Skuntank said.

"Team… Skull? I apologize, but the Princess never mentioned you. I must ask you to leave at once."

Skuntank's jaw nearly dropped. "...What? You can't just-!"

"You dare dispute the will of the princess?" the Aegislash raised his sword arm and transformed his main body into a circular shield that he held in his other arm, and Vulcan moved between them, spreading his arms wide.

"Stop! I'm with him! If the princess knows me, then she'll know them!"

The Aegislash stopped mid-swing, and after glancing between them, he changed form again, this time resembling a shield with a sword behind it. "...Very well. Follow me, please."

It floated forward, and the colossal wooden doors opened without a sound. It was kind of odd. He'd at least expected some sort of creaking or banging sound when it opened all the way.

They all stepped into the massive chamber, at least a hundred feet high with an arched, mosaic-decorated ceiling and several pillars of solid stone on each side of the red carpet lining the center of the room, leading directly to a huge sandstone throne with a skylight shining directly on it. It had two slightly smaller thrones on each side. Sitting in each of the thrones were three Flygon. The center flygon bore a crown made of rough silver metal, and embedded with three gems, a red gem in the center, with two green ones on each side. He was probably as tall as Basileus, even while sitting down. Then, to his right, there was a much smaller Flygon. This ground-type bore a smaller, more feminine crown, but Vulcan didn't recognize her, either. Then, when he saw the Flygon to the left, sitting in a sandstone throne, his jaw dropped. "Mirage?!"

The Flygon teared up and flew directly to him in the blink of an eye, tackling him with a flying hug. "Vulcan… Thank Arceus…"

"What's going on?" he asked. "Who are those pokémon?"

"The king and Queen of the Northern Desert."

"Why are you…" then he made the connection. _The princess knows my last name… The Rhydon was with Mirage… She was sitting with the Monarchs of the Desert..._ "You're-?!"

"Yeah… I'm a princess." she said. "I asked my dad to send his forces to find all of you and bring you here."

"Why… Why did you keep this a secret? Why didn't you bring us all here from the beginning?"

"I didn't know how my father would react," she replied. Then her smile vanished as she looked behind him. "Heimdall, why did you let them into the kingdom?"

"Vulcan defended them, madam. He said that they needed to come with him."

Mirage just stared at Vulcan, dumbfounded. "Why?"

"Because I'm a part of their team," he said. "It was the only way to get off of the Volcanic Island."

"Wh-what? Why would you do that? It's their fault we're here!"

Skuntank scoffed, and Mirage punched him square in the face with so much force that he was sent tumbling backwards halfway down the hall. Weezing and Crobat flew to intercept, but she bellowed a flamethrower, causing them to retreat. Skuntank shakily stood, and Mirage grabbed him by his fur and pinned him against one of the sandstone pillars with one hand while igniting her other fist with fire punch "Do _not_ disrespect me again! Got it?"

"Without me, Vulcan's going back to the Volcanic Island." Skuntank informed her. "That's why I'm here. To help get your team back together."

"And you believe him?" Mirage looked back at Vulcan, and he nodded slowly. "He's telling the truth. He's defended me on more than one occasion. Let him go."

Mirage's jaw dropped as she released Skuntank, dropping him onto the stone floor. "Vulcan…?"

"Enough." the King said as he rose from his throne. "Vulcan Roarke, as the first member of Team Firestorm to be found, I will allow my daughter to guide you to your team's lodging. The three pokémon accompanying you will be housed separately."

"No, they have to stay with me!" Vulcan exclaimed. The King scowled and fluttered forward until he was face-to-face with Vulcan. He was just as tall as him, even without standing perfectly upright. "You seem to forget your place here, Charizard. You have no authority over my decisions. My daughter favors you, so I will grant you mercy this one time. Do not ever speak that way to me again. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Vulcan quickly said. "I apologize for my previous statement. I was out of place."

The King nodded once and looked to Team Skull. "As for you three… I do not claim to know why my daughter is hostile towards you. Would you care to explain?"

Skuntank's eyes widened, and Vulcan crossed his arms. _Let's see what he comes up with this time._

"Uh… I don't… Um…" Skuntank was completely at a loss for words. And he was right to stay quiet. If he said anything that wasn't true, Mirage would call him out and probably get his team kicked out or killed. But if he told the truth that he was the cause of all this, that'd be a big problem too.

"You have nothing to say? Perhaps I should ask Mirage to clarify the reason that she acted so aggressively?"

"N-No, your highness, that won't be necessary!" Skuntank stammered. "It's simply a misunderstanding!"

This time, the Queen stood up from her seat and walked forward with her wings draped behind her back. "A misunderstanding? How so?"

"It's a misunderstanding because…" Mirage was glaring at him, and he laughed nervously. "Um… the princess didn't realize that Vulcan and I are working together to save Team Firestorm as well."

Vulcan scowled, but agreed internally. That was the truth. Even if he left some of the details out.

"Is this true, Charizard?" the Queen asked him.

"...Yes, your highness. This Skuntank and his team are working with me to rescue my team. We have the same goal as Mirage- I mean, the Princess."

"Vulcan, please don't call me that," Mirage told him. "I'm still the same pokémon that you know. To you, I'm Mirage. Okay?"

"Okay…" he said with a small smile. The King and Queen began walking off, and Mirage jogged to catch up to the King. "Dad, can Team Skull please stay with Vulcan? They can't be trusted to be alone."

"Then how can they be trusted at all?" The King stopped walking, and Skuntank's eyes widened.

"Vulcan will keep them in check! I promise!" she quickly said.

"...Very well. Vulcan, I grant your request. Mirage, see to it that they are taken care of."

"Yes, father." she said with a swift bow. "Come on, Vulcan! The others should be here pretty soon! I've got almost a third of the king's servants looking for them!"

"Seriously? That's great!" Vulcan said.

As they walked up the staircase illuminated by the dozens of windows with sunlight streaming in, he heard her voice in his head. " _I hope you're right…"_

"About what?"

"What?" Skuntank asked, and Vulcan shook his head once. "Nothing. Sorry."

Skuntank rolled his eyes, but stayed quiet.

" _Can we trust them? I mean, can we really trust them? Who's to say that they won't try and lead the Mafia here?"_

Vulcan tried to talk through telepathy as they walked, but nearly stumbled while walking up the stairs. She was talking to him in a different way. One that felt… older and more natural than telepathy. Not through psychic energy, at least. _How are you talking to me?_

 _The sand. It's a part of me. My royal blood grants me the gift of communication through the sand. That's how my father can organize such large numbers of pokémon in such a short amount of time._

 _So… the sand talks to me using your voice?_ He quickly asked as he took the next few steps upwards.

 _Yeah. So how can we trust them?_

Vulcan decided not to question the whole 'sand-talking' thing right now. _Skuntank isn't that stupid. His motivation for helping me is to get revenge on the Mafia and to not die in the process. And if he sold us out, his best shot at payback goes out the window. Plus if he'd had any intentions of betraying us, he wouldn't have ever sought me out in the first place. He would've left me to die._

 _That's not good enough, Vulcan! I don't buy that they're the good guys all of a sudden!_

Vulcan smirked and draped his arm across her shoulder as they climbed the stairs even further. _You say that like you don't trust me._

 _That's not what I mean, and you know it._ She glared at him, and Skuntank spoke up from behind them. "Are… you guys talking through telepathy?"

"Do I look like a psychic?" Mirage snapped.

"...No." Skuntank grumbled. It was obvious that he wanted to say something further, but Vulcan knew he couldn't say anything brash like he normally would. So he began talking again, making sure not to speak out loud.

 _I don't like it either. These guys always have some trick to everything they do. But everything Skuntank's said to me has been believable. Crobat really was knocked out of the sky, it's true that the Mafia didn't pay them, and he's on his own side. Not our side or the Mafia's. He's only interested in what's best for him and his team, which is rescuing our team. He knows that we won't kill them, and we stand the best shot at beating the Mafia. So it makes sense, even if I don't like it. Plus… I kind of have to stay with him anyways, due to being in exile. It's one of those rules where I have to stay with the leader of the team pretty much 24/7._

 _Seriously?_ Mirage visibly grimaced, her eyes narrowing for a moment before returning to normal. _What if we accept you into one of my father's teams?_

 _You can't unless Skuntank kicks me off of Team Skull. It's another one of those exile rules; I can't hop from team to team. And Skuntank knows that without me, he's defenseless and has no-one to vouch for him. He won't let me go._

 _Then I'll make him!_ Mirage clenched her fists, and Vulcan grabbed her hands before she could turn around. _No. He hasn't done anything wrong yet. And trust me, I've been waiting for him to slip up. But he hasn't double-guessed himself, hasn't crossed me, and when we were attacked in the woods, we were all attacked. Skuntank was actually attacked first. So the Mafia is after us all._

Mirage pulled her hands away and continued walking up the stairs. She was silent until they came to a desertwood door that was eight feet tall and six feet wide, at least. It was almost a square, rather than a rectangle. She pushed it open and walked in, the sunlight filtering through the window reflecting off of the polished ground, shining directly into his eyes. "This is our team's room," she said. "Make yourself at home."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." then she gasped and grinned. "They found Connor!"

* * *

 **Bam! Chapter 24! I hope you guys enjoyed it! As always, if you did, or even if you didn't, feel free to leave any questions, comments, concerns or theories in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated, and helps me stay motivated to keep writing! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	25. What Was Lost

**-Chapter XXV: What Was Lost-**

 **-Connor-**

He was moving through the forest with Aaron, Leroy, Manaphy and Wigglytuff when the ground began shaking.

He reared backwards and used hydro pump on the Garchomp that burst from the ground while shielding Manaphy and Aaron from the spray of dirt. It used double team to surround him before the attack connected, negating the torrent of water, and eventually stood still while raising his wings up in an 'I surrender' kind of way. "Hey, I'm not here to fight! Are you Connor?"

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Andreas. Mirage sent me to come get you."

"Mirage…? That's impossible!"

"You're not listening!" Then he seemed to be thinking about something else for a moment, seemingly annoyed at the prospect. "Arceus, how did Rhydon do it so well…?"

"Rhydon?"

"Another pokémon Mirage sent to get Vulcan. I think he's already at the palace."

"Vulcan!" he exclaimed before regaining his bearings. "Palace? What are you talking about?!" he asked. "What palace?"

"The palace of the Northern Desert! Y'know what, no time to explain. Just come with me, please."

"No-"

"Connor, go." Wigglytuff interrupted. "He's telling the truth. Vulcan's already at the palace."

"There's a palace in the Northern Desert? Seriously?" he questioned. "How long has that been a thing?"

"Uh… a few millennia, I think." Wigglytuff said. "It's before my era."

"...You said Vulcan was there?" he asked the Garchomp.

"Yes! Oh, and Mirage mentioned a Manaphy, a grey Pikachu, and a Farfetch'd! She didn't say anything about a Wigglytuff, though…"

"Oh, I'm not a part of the team!" Wigglytuff said. "I'm just helping them out. Don't worry, friend!"

"Okay then… Uh… Can you guys just grab this orb?" he held a bright blue sphere in his clawed hand, and one by one, they all stepped forward and placed their hands (and wing) on the orb. The Garchomp began mumbling some different language and placed the orb on the ground. Aaron began crackling with electricity as the orb glowed brighter and brighter, until the Garchomp opened his eyes and said two words: "Rige sand."

When he said that, a blue wave of energy washed over them, and when Connor opened his eyes, they were in the center of a massive room made of sandstone walls with polished floors and a red carpet leading to three seats that appeared to be empty thrones that had a skylight illuminating them. Aaron looked around and arched his eyebrow out of curiosity. "Where are we?"

"We're in the palace," the Garchomp said. "Follow me."

Leroy shrugged and waddled after the Garchomp. Manaphy latched onto Connor's back while Aaron followed the Farfetch'd through the colossal palace. "This is so unreal…" Connor murmured, taking in the hundreds of hieroglyphs and paintings lining the walls and sandstone pillars.

"I know… Do you think Vulcan is really here?" Manaphy whispered.

"I'm not sure yet..." he said. "Wigglytuff said he was, but this just seems too easy."

"You'd better believe it." Vulcan smiled as he walked around the corner, and Connor nearly collapsed then and there.

"Vulcan…" tears of joy streaked down his face as he gave his best friend a crushing hug. "Arceus, thank you…"

Manaphy leapt off of his back and latched onto Vulcan's face with a light laughter, "Vulcan!" He began crying as well. "Manaphy… Arceus, I didn't know if I'd see you guys again…"

Aaron and Leroy observed from the sidelines, and Connor just hugged Vulcan again, making sure that this was real, and that it was his best friend.

Andreas cleared his throat and knelt as Mirage glided into view, and Vulcan hesitantly followed before Mirage giggled and stood them both up. "It's alright! I already told you not do that!"

"It just seems wrong if I don't," Andreas replied.

Vulcan stood up, and Aaron voiced Connor's immediate question: "Why did Vulcan bow to you?"

"Because she is the princess of the Northern Desert," a power-filled female voice echoed throughout the grand hall, and a slightly larger, more graceful-looking Flygon stood up from her throne.

"Mother! H-How long were you there?" Mirage asked.

"Just long enough to see you greet your friends," the Flygon replied with a small smile.

Mirage, Vulcan and Andreas all knelt before her, and Aaron crossed his arms with a scoff. "What's the big idea? Vulcan, why are you kneeling?"

"Because he is wise, and knows when to keep his mouth shut," the Flygon replied as she stood up from her throne. Leroy stifled a laugh while Aaron just scowled.

"Tell me, Pikachu, do you have any idea who you are standing in the presence of?"

"Mirage called you mother, and you called her a princess, so I'm guessing that you're the Queen?"

"And you still do not kneel?"

"I don't take orders very well," he replied. "Sorry."

Vulcan's eyes widened as the Queen raised her hand and glanced at them, "You may stand."

Vulcan stood up and looked back and forth between Aaron, whose cheeks were sparking with electricity, and the Queen, who seemed intrigued with the ash-grey Pikachu. "Aaron, this isn't like the rest of Immanis where you get warnings for being bad. This is an entirely different culture! She can do whatever she wants!"

"Like what? Throw me in a dungeon?" he asked.

"That's a start," the Queen deadpanned. "Then I could have you executed. Unless you'd like to earn mercy through a trial by combat?"

"Sounds easy enough. I've beaten ground-types bigger than you before," he said with a confident smirk.

"Oh, not me. I don't fight unless absolutely necessary. You will fight Andreas."

Aaron's smirk faded as the colossal Garchomp crossed his arms and glared at the Pikachu. Connor did not like where this was going. "Your… highness? What happens if he loses?"

"When he loses, he will either kneel, die, or be removed from the kingdom for defying me."

Mirage gently grabbed the Queen's arm with a forced smile. "Mother, he means no disrespect-"

"I think he does," the Queen said. "Do you see any signs of repentance in his eyes?"

The Pikachu clenched his fists, and Connor tried to step forward, but he was held back by a powerful psychic force. A Claydol accompanying a massive, masculine Flygon appeared from one of the many passageways. The Flygon looked between the group and tilted his head. "What is going on?"

*The queen has initiated a trial by combat between this Pikachu and Andreas, my king.* the Claydol's monotonous voice droned.

"Okay, what in the world is happening?!" Connor blurt out. "Mirage is a princess of a kingdom I never knew existed, and Aaron just got threatened into a battle by a queen?!"

"Yeah… Sorry for not telling you," Mirage said. "I didn't think about it."

"Enough!" the King interjected. "If the Queen has initiated a battle … then so be it. Pikachu, do you accept?"

"What if I don't?" Aaron asked.

"Then you die." the Queen said. "One way or another, you will learn to respect my authority. Even if you give your life in the process. And in the extremely unlikely scenario that you best Andreas in battle, you will have earned my respect."

"Mom! No!" Mirage tried to argue, but Aaron cut her off. "I accept the challenge!"

Leroy rolled his eyes and Vulcan's jaw nearly hit the floor as the Queen nodded before turning away from him. "Very well. Follow us to the arena."

Mirage tried to talk to the Garchomp, keeping it at a whisper, but he shook his head. "I'll be fine."

"Aaron, what are you thinking?!" Vulcan asked him. "Do you want to die?"

"You bow to them so easily!" Aaron countered. "I came here thinking this was a safe haven. Having to kneel before any pokémon is an insult! We might as well be prisoners!"

Vulcan took a deep, irritated breath, and Connor just stayed out of it. Aaron had already made his choice. Then his vision became hazy, blinking in and out of focus as Leroy began to talk to Aaron. _What…? No! Not now!_

His eyes went dark for a few seconds before a blade of light sliced across his mind with a metallic scraping sound, like a sword being unsheathed. When the light faded, he was standing in front of a massive bed with four pillars on each side, with four ornate cloths draped across, acting as curtains in the center of a colossal room with a thirty foot tall ceiling. It was night-time outside, and the only light came from the windows to his left, bathing the room in the soft silver glow of the moon. He couldn't help but push the ornate curtains aside aside briefly. This was a vision, after all. He needed to know what was going on. _This is definitely the King and Queen's room._ He noted after looking around further in an attempt to confirm it.

But when he pushed it aside, he was even more shocked than before. There, asleep right in front of him, was Mirage and the pushed the curtains aside further, making sure it wasn't another Flygon, but there was no mistaking it. This was definitely her. _What is this? This isn't like any of my other visions… It feels like I'm actually here. And why is she with him?_

 _THIS IS A DIMENSIONAL ECHO. AN EVOLVED FORM OF THE DIMENSIONAL SCREAM._ Connor nearly yelped with surprise as Dialga appeared behind him.

 _Can they hear me?_ He quickly asked.

 _NO._

"Okay, why the heck am I here? And what is Mirage still doing here this far in the future?!"

Dialga exhaled deeply and shook his head slowly, seemingly in disappointment. "I AMPLIFIED YOUR ABILITY SO I COULD SPEAK TO YOU WITHOUT DISRUPTING THE HARMONY OF TIME, SPACE AND ANTIMATTER."

"Antimatter?"

"MY BROTHER, GIRATINA. HE CONTROLS THE ANTIMATTER, OR, MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT YOU CALL 'SHADOWS'."

"Okay, that's neat, But why am I here?" He asked. "And where have you been?!"

"I SENT OVER HALF OF THE TEMPORAL GUARDIANS TO ASSIST YOU IN MY STEAD. I AM FORBIDDEN TO DIRECTLY INTERFERE WITH HISTORY."

"Yeah? Well what a great job they're doing!" he shouted at the lord of time, who just laid there silently. "Seven -no, nine- Temporal Guardians, and for what? My team is still half dead, and I'm pretty sure more are gone!"

"CHOOSE YOUR TONE CAREFULLY, CONNOR. YOU ARE MY FAVORITE MORTAL POKÉMON, BUT I DO NOT TOLERATE DISRESPECT."

"Okay, sorry, but you still haven't answered me! My team is out there being killed while you sit on the sidelines and do nothing! Why is this happening?!"

"I DO NOT KNOW. IT IS BEYOND THE CONFINES OF MY POWER."

"Beyond your control? How? You _are_ time itself!"

"A COMMON MISCONCEPTION. I AM THE EMBODIMENT OF TIME, BUT MY POWER IS SPLIT INTO MANY DIFFERENT PARTS. TEMPORAL TOWER IS WHERE MY SWAY OVER TIME ORIGINATES. THE TIME GEARS GIVE ME KNOWLEDGE OF THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE, AND MY TEMPORAL GUARDIANS PROTECT THE TEMPORAL TREE IN MY STEAD WHILE I TEND TO MORE PRESSING MATTERS. IN THE BEGINNING, I _WAS_ TIME, AS YOU SAID. BUT AS I LEARNED THROUGH THE MANY EONS OF MY EXISTENCE, I'VE FOUND THAT IT CREATES LESS STRAIN ON THE TEMPORAL FABRIC TO DIVIDE MY POWER THAN TO KEEP IT ALL WITHIN ONE BODY."

"Well, take control again! I want to know why my team is being killed! I think I deserve it, given what we did for you and Palkia!"

"DESERVE?" Dialga chuckled, a sound that distorted the air around him. "THE FACT THAT YOU BELIEVE YOU DESERVE AN ANSWER PROVES YOUR IGNORANCE. YOU ARE YOUNG AND NAIVE, AND OH SO QUICK TO ANGER."

"I've been holding in my anger for the past two years! I think it's okay if I get mad sometimes!"

"OH, FORGIVE ME." he said sarcastically. "FOR TWO YEARS, YOU'VE KEPT YOUR ANGER INSIDE…" he said with a light, almost mocking laugh. "CONNOR, I'VE WATCHED THE RISE AND FALL OF EVERY POKÉMON, EVERY EMPIRE, EVERY KINGDOM… EVERY VILLAGE. YOUR LIFE IS BUT A SINGLE LEAF ON THE TEMPORAL TREE. ONE LEAF OUT OF THE TRILLIONS ACROSS TIME. BUT… YOU ARE MORE THAN A MERE LEAF. YOU ARE A FLOWER. ONE THAT WILL BEAR GREAT FRUIT. ONLY A HANDFUL OF POKÉMON HAVE CAUGHT MY DIRECT ATTENTION DUE TO THE INFLUENCE THEY HOLD OVER THE CURRENT WORLD. YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW."

"What's so special about me, then? Because I'm a human from the future?"

"NO. THERE ARE THOUSANDS JUST LIKE YOU, SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE MILLIONS OF BRANCHES OF TIME, DOING THE SAME THINGS YOU HAVE. LOSING THEIR MEMORIES BY A DARKRAI THAT ATTACKS THE TOWER, MEETING A PARTNER WHO HAS THE RELIC FRAGMENT GRANTING ACCESS TO THE HIDDEN LAND, DEFEATING THAT TIMELINE'S GROVYLE AFTER APPRENTICING AT WIGGLYTUFF'S GUILD, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THERE IS A PRIMAL DIALGA THERE, RULING OVER A FUTURE OF DARKNESS. THEN THEY FIX THAT FUTURE. OR, IN THE CASE OF A FEW, THEY FAIL, AND THE WORLD IS DOOMED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS UNTIL SOMEBODY ELSE TRAVELS BACK IN TIME. THAT IS WHAT I HAVE TO LIVE WITH. KNOWING THAT THERE ARE BILLIONS OF LIVES THAT ARE GOING TO BE LOST NEVER KNOWING THE SUN, OR JOY, OR WARMTH. ALL LIFE MUST COME TO AN END, I HOPE YOU REALIZE THAT. YOUR TEAM IS NOT IMMORTAL."

"I know that, but they're too young to die now! They were all in their mid-twenties, prime fighters-"

"DEATH DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE," the Temporal Dragon said. "IT TAKES THE YOUNG, THE OLD, THE WEAK, THE STRONG, THE RICH, THE POOR… AND THE GOOD AND THE EVIL."

"That's not fair!" he shouted back.

"FAIR?" Dialga's eyes narrowed as he just shook his head while looking at the floor. "LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS FAIR, CONNOR."

"But we've done so much-"

"YOU THINK I DO NOT KNOW THAT?" Dialga cut him off with a soft growl. "PERHAPS THAT IS WHY GIRATINA IS TURNING A BLIND EYE TOWARDS YOUR ATTEMPTS AT REVIVING YOUR TEAMMATES."

"We can revive them?!" Connor quickly asked. "How?"

The lord of time seemed perplexed for a moment before speaking to himself almost inaudibly.

"Wait… you said our attempts? You mean we've already tried?"

"MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRESENT IS MIXED WITH THE FUTURE… I APOLOGIZE. BUT YES."

"Alright, fine. I'll just treat it like a prophecy that can change my fate or something," he muttered. "You sons of Arceus are always so vague and give such little information. I don't get it."

"YOU WILL IN TIME, CONNOR."

Then his vision started to haze over. He fought to stay there, trying his hardest to keep the temporal lord in focus. "Wait, Dialga! Don't go yet! I need answers!"

"YOU ARE NOT READY. BUT YOU WILL BE."

"Not ready?! I don't understand!" he shouted at Dialga's fading image. "I want to know why this is happening!" tears fell to the ground as his eyes closed and Dialga said one final sentence before he was back in reality: "THIS IS NOT YOUR FIGHT."

"Hey, are you alright?" a familiar voice asked. Connor instinctively swung as he opened his eyes, but his hand was caught by Aaron's tiny arm, stopped with hardly any effort.

"You just collapsed out of nowhere. You scared everyone!" the Pikachu said angrily.

Connor took a deep breath and wiped the tears out of his eyes, and Mirage and Vulcan moved closer, the latter of the two speaking up. "Was it a Dimensional Scream?"  
"Something like that," he said shakily. "Sorry, I didn't like what I saw..." _Not my fight…? That doesn't make any sense! This is my team we're talking about! I have to protect them!_

"Was it bad?"

"Not really… I just don't know if it was in the future or not."

"What did you see?" Vulcan asked.

"I'm not sure," he said. He saw the King and Queen observing him silently, and he stood up with renewed confidence. "Apologies, your majesties. Sometimes I receive visions randomly. It's, uh… no big deal."

"Visions? As in, visions of the past or future?" the Queen asked. "How?"

"I don't know… I've always just… had the ability. But I can't activate it at will; it comes and goes as it pleases."

He felt a powerful force take hold of his mind, and he instinctively used water gun on the Claydol, whose eyes were glowing. It threw up a protect barrier, and the hold on his mind vanished. "Why did you do that?"

*Apologies, Swampert. I just wish to know how you can see into the past or future.*

"Okay, I don't know about you, but where we come from, using telekinetic abilities to read minds is not okay!" he snapped.

"Enough!" the King said. "I will not tolerate shouting in this palace!"

"Got it," he muttered. "Sorry." he glanced at Vulcan with a neutral expression. "How long was I out?"

"A few seconds. You had everyone scared, though. You haven't gotten a vision since the Time Gears were put back, so I wasn't expecting it."

"Me neither… I got a small vision about Alice when we raided the mountain, but this time felt different… Like I was actually _in_ the vision. Not just watching it."

"Okay, that's cool, but I think I still gotta fight," Aaron said.

Connor just rolled his eyes and turned to him. "Another thing; Why in Arceus' name would you do that? We just have to obey a few rules, and we're safe here! Problem solved!"

"I already told you why! I respect them and all, but bowing to anyone is an insult! I don't care if it's a different culture or not! I won't sacrifice my freedom for a little protection! It's not happening!"

The King and Queen looked absolutely furious with him. Mirage tried to help alleviate the tension, but it didn't do much. Everyone was focused on him, and they weren't happy.

"Let's get this over with," Aaron growled. "I'm getting anxious."

 **-Roy-**

He draped his misdrea-cape over his head to shield himself from the sudden downpour of rain. It didn't really bother him, but he had to repeatedly blink to remove the water from his eyes. He'd tracked Dawn to yet another forest. But not one he'd ever been in before, which was odd, considering how many forests he'd been to in the past year. "Hello~?"

"Roy?" her voice was filled with joy as she appeared in front of him and pulled him into a hug. "How did you find me? I thought you were confined to a dungeon too!"

"Valerie broke it for me," he said with a smile. Then he lowered his cape as Dawn created a dome of psychic energy above their heads, shielding them from the rain. She wiped her face off and just smiled some more. "I can't believe you're here…"

"I actually have something important to tell you," he said. "...I can fix your vision."

Her smile faded as she shook her head. "Roy, I know you just use an illusion. It's alright, I'm used to my psychic vision now."

"N-No, it's not an illusion! Valerie taught me a spell to restore your sight!" he said excitedly. She just stood there, kind of shocked at first. "A… spell? Like, Dark Magic?"

"No, this is good magic!" he jokingly replied. "I mean… it's not… _bad_."

"You're obviously lying," she said softly. "...How does it work?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. But it does!"

"Okay…" she mumbled nervously. "As long as it doesn't hurt you."

"It shouldn't," he said. "Valerie said that most spells don't inflict harm on the user."

"...Alright. Let's take this somewhere out of the rain."

"Agreed," he said. "Do you have a shelter somewhere?"

"I can make one," she said. She waved her arm, and the entire forest moved with her. The trees' roots elongated and wrapped around each other and formed walls of interwoven wood. The trees' branches overlapped until they formed a waterproof ceiling constructed of leafy branches laid over each other, and Dawn bolted inside without hesitation as grass grew and flourished wherever her feet touched the earth. Roy floated underneath the shelter, and Dawn formed two seats out of the soft earth. She sat in one, and Roy smiled as he pulled out the spellbook. "Okay… page three-hundred and… four. Got it." he stopped the page and skimmed the text until he found the correct one.

"Um… Alright, so here's how this works… I say the spell, and your vision gets fixed... I think. I have to do a couple other things subconsciously, though. Don't worry about it."

"I won't," she said with a small smile.

"Okay, ah…" he cleared his throat and used will-o-wisp to create several orbs of purple fire float around the room for effect.

"Here we go… Whatever happens, don't interrupt me, okay? I don't want to accidentally say something different." she nodded in understanding, and now that he was here, it felt so unreal. He was using magic to fix Dawn's eyesight. First of all, Magic. Sure, he lived in a world where creatures half his size could spew water with enough force to punch through metal, but _magic_ seemed so… make-believe. Most things could be explained simply by a pokémon's type. Water types could breathe underwater, fire-types were heatproof, ghost-types could manipulate shadows, psychic-types can move objects with their mind… It was a part of what they were. But this was different. Only select pokémon could do this, but not just specific types. He could do it, Valerie could do it… It was so odd to him.

"Okay…" Then he began reading the spell that Valerie has practiced with him. "

"Olen uhrata osa sieluni parantua tämän olennon..." As he spoke, the orbs of fire began flickering and blowing in a sudden gust of wind that began picking up. He winced as he felt a small stabbing pain in his chest, then gritted his teeth as parts of his skin were peeled off and swirled into one shadowy orb. He closed his eyes and etched the unown runes into his head, trying to ignore the pain. "Ilmoitan, että hän ansaitsee näön lahjan…" This continued until his entire chest was bare spectral muscle, his skin peeling off in layers and swirling just in front of Dawn, who seemed unaware of what was happening. He took rapid deep breaths to alleviate some of the pain, but he continued speaking. "Nimissä Arceus julistan..." he took another deep breath and forced the final word out as a final piece of himself was absorbed into the ball of spectral matter. "Lunastettavasta!"

When he said this, the orb of dark matter latched onto Dawn's chest and worked its way up her neck in a matter of seconds, enveloping her face. She gasped and tried to blast it off with psychic, and when that didn't work, she stood up and grabbed at her eyes before the shadows were absorbed into her skin harmlessly. Then she fell to her hands and knees, her eyes seeming to glow slightly brighter in that moment.

As she felt the ground with trembling hands, Roy used this opportunity to shadow-heal himself, drawing in the shadows created by the will-o-wisps to heal his wounds. But in spite of his best efforts, it didn't heal over all the way. His chest had scars all over it. Not very noticeable unless you looked closely, but it was there. His normally indigo skin had lavender patches of discoloration across it. A symbol of what he did. _That' s going to bother me…_ he thought sardonically. _Charming._

His thoughts were cut short when he saw Dawn stand up. She gasped with a hand over her mouth while she opened her eyes. "...!" she teared up and pulled him into a crushing hug while crying uncontrollably. "Thank you…" she sobbed. "Thank you... Thank you…"

Then she pulled away slightly to look into his eyes, and before he could say anything, she gently wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. And this time he didn't pull away. His spectral heart beat more and more rapidly with every passing second. He slowly fell to the ground as a warm sensation settled across his body. It was unexplainably different from anything he'd ever felt before. And so much better than anything he'd ever experienced.

Dawn pressed herself against him as they laid on the grass-covered earth, breaking the kiss for a moment as she caught her breath. And when he looked into her eyes, the world around him seemed to disappear. She was all that mattered to him in that moment. And when she smiled, all of his worries vanished. And before he could have second thoughts, he kissed her back.

* * *

 **So cute!**

 **-PL**


	26. How Fire Falls

**-Chapter XXVI: How Fire Falls-**

 **-Connor-**

"So you still want to do this?" Vulcan asked Aaron, who walked alongside them with a permanent scowl. "Yeah."

"I know you already said why, but I don't get it… Do you not care about your own life?"

"Every second we're here is another second Victor and his pets run free. How can you want to stay here and let that happen?"

"Because we're safe! And we're together! That's what matters right now!" Vulcan hissed.

"I'm not on your team anymore, remember?" Aaron said. "I'm done listening to you guys. I'm getting Victor my way."

"Your way is going to get you killed!" Vulcan exclaimed.

"Then so be it," the ash-grey Pikachu growled. "It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

"You're going to die before you ever get to Victor!" Vulcan raged. "That's not a sacrifice, that's suicide!"

"You don't know what I've been through! I had to bury my family after watching them burn to death! If I die, I can finally be with them again, so I am more than happy to give my life for that!"

"What does knowing what you've been through have to do with anything?!" Vulcan exclaimed in frustration.

Connor just shook his head and sighed. "Aaron, we've lost friends, too…"

"I don't care! It's not my problem anymore!" he almost shouted at them. His cheeks began sparking with blue electricity, and Connor grabbed his shoulder. "Aaron, don't let your anger consume you. It's not worth your life."

"It's never been about me!" Aaron growled and zapped his hand, but he absorbed the attack without so much as a twitch. "It's about getting out of here so I can avenge my family!"

"You won't be able to do that if you die in the process!"

"As long as Victor is dead, I'll be happy!"

"Will you really?" Connor asked, trying to keep his best neutral tone in spite of his rapidly growing rage. "After you kill Victor, What then? What will you do after that?"

"I'll make every pokémon who's ever worked for him pay!"

"Then it's not avenging your family anymore. That's just hurting others that had nothing to do with your family's death. They're just as innocent as your family was."

He could feel a slight tingling sensation in his hand when he grabbed Aaron's shoulder, who just clenched his fists and looked at him with rage in his eyes."They killed your team too! How can you defend them?!"

"I am by no means defending them. I'm saying that hurting others simply because you want to hurt someone else isn't justice or vengeance. It's harming innocent pokémon. It's exactly what Victor did to you and your village. If you hurt anyone you don't know just because they work for someone you don't like, you're stooping down to his level. Is that what you want? To become the very thing you want to destroy?"

Aaron growled and dashed down the hallway on all fours. Vulcan just put his hand on his face and shook his head. "I don't understand him…"

"Me neither," Connor admitted. Then he squinted as the double wooden doors were pushed open by the Aegislash, allowing the blinding sunlight to pour into the dimly lit hall. He followed Mirage and the Garchomp through the doors and walked along a platform running from tower to tower, like a bridge or catwalk. Then they all leapt off, gliding gently to the moderately large clearing a hundred feet below, almost like a private garden, or a courtyard. But… without all the plants. Since when did they get that high up? They were at ground level in the main hall, and they didn't go up any stairs... Maybe it was a ramp?

Vulcan sighed and stepped off of the bridge, extending his wings to land on the sandy clearing beneath them, too. Connor tried to use ancient power to ride a boulder to the ground, but he couldn't tear any of the stone off of the areas around him. _Probably the unown runes protecting the palace against psychic attacks._

He sighed and leapt off of the bridge as well. _This is gonna hurt…_ He used protect, forming a bubble around himself in an attempt to negate most of the damage. As soon as he hit the ground, it shattered after slightly cushioning his fall, and he pushed himself up after taking several deep breaths. _No broken bones… That's good. I'm gonna feel the bruises later, though._

When he looked around, everyone was looking at him in awe.

"What?"

"You just survived a two-hundred foot fall…" the Queen remarked. "And have no injuries..."

"Yeah; Normally I use ancient power to ride a boulder down, but your palace is immune to that kind of thing. And… Uh, never mind. Sorry."

"It's alright," the Queen said before raising her arms. When she did this, the entire clearing shifted, forming a bowl-shaped wall around them all made entirely of sandstone.

"Uh… What is this?"

"Trial by combat," the Queen said. "Pikachu, now is your chance to prove yourself."

"Got it," he said.

"However, there are several rules you must follow."

"...Let's hear 'em."

"You cannot surrender. You must continue until you are either knocked out or killed. We will ignore your request if you ask to forfeit. And when you lose, if you are not killed, you will be exiled from the kingdom. And if you try to purposely lose, you will die. Not by us, but by your opponent."

"Got it. Let's go, Andreas," the Pikachu said. The Garchomp seemed slightly concerned, as did Leroy, but for some reason the Farfetch'd didn't try to intervene.

"Is he always like this?" the Garchomp whispered to Connor as he walked past.

"I don't know… He's super irritable most of the time, but he's never been this bad."

"Well, I hope he's tough. Otherwise I might kill him."

"Can you be gentle?"

"And risk losing? No. Not a chance. He's been a punk the entire time he's been here, and I'm not messing up my shot at becoming Heimdall's successor."

"Fair enough," Connor replied. Aaron said so many things in the past two minutes that enraged him. He didn't really care about the Pikachu's well-being anymore. He'd tried to be nice in spite of everything, but when he said that the lost team members weren't his problem anymore, he stopped caring. That pokémon was beyond redemption. He was only concerned with revenge. And quite frankly, he felt sorry for anyone like that.

"Let's see if he lives…" he said to Vulcan, who just took a deep breath and moved close to the edge of the arena. It was probably close to forty feet in diameter, forming a nearly perfect circular shape.

Connor sighed and sat down, then tilted his head as more pokémon filled the edges of the arena, seeming to walk through the walls of sand. "What the...?"

"Most of the residents of the palace get to watch trials by combat. Most of the time it's at least a fair fight," Mirage said. "Aaron's going to lose."

"Eh. Maybe he'll surprise us," Vulcan said, trying to be optimistic.

She shook her head quickly. "Not a chance. Andreas beat me, and I didn't even land a hit on him. Most of Aaron's moves won't do hardly anything to him due to his typing."

Connor watched as more pokémon filled the arena, consisting of pokémon ranging from Cubone all the way to a Steelix, who wrapped around half of the arena.

"Please tell me there are pokémon looking for the rest of them," Connor said. "I don't want to sit here if our team is still in danger."

Mirage began to speak up over the increasing noise of the crowd of pokémon, bringing the total to about thirty that he saw. Not really that many, but it was a good crowd. "Of course! My father has pokémon locating the rest of them as we speak!"

Connor smiled briefly, then scowled as Aaron walked into the open. There wasn't really any booing, but when Andreas walked out, most of the Pokémon chuckled under their breaths. A two-foot tall, ash-grey pikachu against a seven foot tall Garchomp. How was this even fair?

"Mirage, what if he dies?"

"I told Andreas to go easy on him, unless he starts winning. Then end it fast. But try not to break him."

"Why? Aaron was a part of our team!"

"For, like, two days! He didn't really care what happened to us! And quite frankly, I want Andreas to win!"

"So is this a cultural thing? This whole, 'arena battle'?"

"Yeah… If my parents get irritated with constant insubordination, they can either have the individual exiled, killed, or put through a trial by combat against the king's bodyguard. But since Heimdall is busy protecting the kingdom from foreigners, I suggested Andreas."

"It just doesn't make sense… What if the challenger wins?"

"Then they can fight the king. But it's never come to that."

"Okay… I'm just going to watch now," he . "Hopefully he puts up a decent fight."

"Yeah… I hope-"

"Challengers!" a power-filled voice washed over the crowd, and when the conversation had ceased, the voice continued. "Are you ready?"

Aaron gave a half-effort thumbs up, and Andreas leaned forward with a decisive nod.

"Then let the trial begin!"

The crowd of pokémon applauded, and the Garchomp wasted no time. He dashed forward with so much speed that Aaron didn't even have time to leap out of the way before he was headbutted and sent flying backwards. As he was sailing through the air, Andreas leapt into the air, created a substitute clone mid-jump that grabbed Aaron's arms while the second one used dual chop, repeatedly barraging Aaron's torso and face with blow after blow. Then the substitute vanished, and Andreas slammed him into the ground with Dragon tail from at least thirty feet in the air. He hit the sand with so much force that a small sand-explosion occurred. Connor winced as he recalled how much that hurt when Vulcan did it in the Mafia's village. The Garchomp landed in the sand and picked up the Pikachu with one hand, then pulled his fist back. The Pikachu tried to raise its arms, but the Garchomp didn't even hesitate, slamming his wing into the Pikachu's stomach, sending Aaron flying all the way across the arena.

Several of the pokémon in the crowd parted as he slid down the sloped walls, utterly defeated, and the Garchomp planted one foot on his chest. Aaron still appeared to be fighting back, so he just pressed down harder with his foot. He heard Aaron groan, and everything in him wanted to tell the Garchomp to stop. But he didn't know what would happen if he did.

Then something completely unexpected happened; Andreas was sent flying backwards by a blast of blue energy, and Aaron leapt up, looking completely fine. Everyone in the arena seemed just as shocked. Andreas looked slightly confused as Aaron charged straight at him, coated in electricity. The Garchomp crouched down, about to take the volt tackle head on, but then another Pikachu used iron tail on the side of his head, knocking him off balance. He managed to catch himself and avoid falling over, but Connor could tell that Andreas felt that. He rubbed his head for a moment and growled. "Nice trick. I won't fall for it again."

"Good fighters never use the same trick twice," Aaron countered as his substitute phased back into his body like an illusion.

Andreas slammed his foot into the ground, triggering a small earthquake. Just enough to knock Aaron off balance. While Connor's vision was shaking, the Garchomp had vanished.

 _...Where'd he go?_

Aaron gasped as the ground beneath him collapsed, and Andreas used slash, cutting a gash across Aaron's chest while he struggled to get up from the sand. Andreas tilted his head from side to side and rolled his shoulders while Aaron regained his footing. He looked at his hand, which was stained with crimson blood, and clenched his fists. He used thunderbolt, which Connor knew was ineffective, but when it hit Andreas, he actually fell to one knee, taking rapid breaths after groaning out loud. Everyone was in awe at that. _How did his thunderbolt affect a ground type?!_

Aaron darted up to him and shot a blue orb of energy directly into his chest, knocking him flat on his back. Everyone in the arena stood up in an attempt to watch as Aaron began wailing on the Garchomp, using combinations of brick breaks and force palms until Andreas managed to use dig to sink into the earth. Aaron just scowled and closed his eyes. Then he leapt to the side as Andreas erupted from the sand and used dragon pulse, launching a blue beam of energy straight at him. Aaron gasped and leapt out of the way, but he was decked by a swift knee to the face by a substitute clone. He fell to the ground, and Andreas took a deep breath. "You're good. Really good. I'd like to fight you again some time."

"It's not over yet, you-!" Aaron tried to sit up, but Andreas grabbed his head and slammed it into his knee, knocking him out cold. Andreas took a deep breath as Mirage placed a reviver seed on Aaron's chest. Connor was actually intrigued by that fight. He had no idea how Aaron blasted Andreas back, or how his thunderbolt actually affected the Garchomp, but it was impressive. That Pikachu was a lot stronger than he let on.

The crowd of pokémon dispersed within a matter of minutes, and Aaron shot awake, the reviver seed having done its work. He jumped up and tried to headbutt Andreas, but the Garchomp just extended a wing and blocked the attack. "Chill, dude. We're done. You lost."

"What…" then he collapsed to the ground, still awake, but clearly exhausted. "You have lost," the Queen said after fluttering up to them. She waved her hand, and the arena's walls sunk back into the ground. "Will you kneel?"

Aaron chuckled and sat up. "Sorry, but no."

"So be it." The Queen scowled as Heimdall attached a small wristband onto the Pikachu's arm, and he vanished into the darkness. Heimdall bowed respectively, then turned to the Queen. "He is outside the reaches of the Northern Desert. He will not return."

"Good." the Queen nodded decisively, and they were all silent for a while afterwards.

Aaron was gone… just like that. He didn't get it. Dialga said he'd understand… But he was clueless. "Arceus, please… Just give me sign."

He flinched as an explosion went off about a hundred feet up from within the tower on their left, collapsing the top half of the sandstone tower. Slabs of stone that were as large as Golurk rained from the sky, falling into the clearing and triggering mini-earthquakes that collapsed the tower further. Mirage and her parents vanished in the blink of an eye, and when he looked up, he mega-evolved and leapt on top of Vulcan, shielding him from the debris that shook the ground when it landed by wrapping his arms around his best friend and hunching over him protectively. He blacked out instantly from the impact of a slab of stone that landed on his back before he could put up a protect barrier.

 ***Two Minutes Earlier***

 **-Skuntank-**

He and his team had been told to stay in the resting area of the Tower, much to his disappointment. Nobody trusted them, which was irritating, but understandable.

He perked up from his resting position when Crobat spoke up. "So, chief… How long are you planning on actually staying here?"

"I don't know… I was hoping to just stay here until the rest of Vulcan's team was found, but it looks like it might be a few days."

"I think you've got a soft spot for Vulcan, Chief," Weezing said. "Otherwise we'd be out of here by now with some treasure for our trouble!"

"Shut yer yap!" he snarled. "You think just because I help them out one time, that makes us pals? I might be acting nice to them, but I ain't gone soft."

"If you say so…" Weezing muttered.

"Say, what's going on down there?" Crobat fluttered over to the balcony overlooking the courtyard, and Skuntank rolled off of his bunk bed. "What are you going on about?"

"Chief, come check this out! It looks like the Garchomp is fighting somebody!"

"What?" Skuntank darted over to the balcony and watched as a giant blue thunderbolt erupted from the center of the small arena, zapping the Garchomp. He saw Connor and Vulcan in the crowd and tilted his head, perplexed by what he saw. "What're they doing watching a fight? Don't they need to be finding their team?"

"I thought that's what Mirage was doing," Weezing put in.

"I don't even know what's going on anymore… I had no idea anything like this existed. I thought there was Treasure Town, and maybe a few villages here and there, and that was it."

As they all watched the battle unfurling in the courtyard, Skuntank felt a small breeze across his tail hairs. He instinctively turned around and used night slash, cutting a gash across the pokémon behind him. He snarled and sprayed his noxious gas at the Krookodile, who promptly stumbled backward and tripped over his own feet.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here?" Skuntank gloated as Weezing filled the room with poison gas. The Krookodile began wheezing as the gas became thicker and thicker, and Skuntank placed a paw on its throat. "You're with the Mafia, right? What brings you here?"

"They didn't say you were- gah!" Skuntank pressed down on its arm with his other paw and growled. "Not what I asked!"

"Please… Take the gas away…" the Krookodile pleaded in between breaths. Skuntank rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Not a chance, bub. I don't pity backstabbing pokémon like you."

"But you used to hate that team..." the Krookodile managed. "Why help them?"

"Because I hate you guys more," he said. Then he gasped as the Krookodile ignited his jaws with fire fang. "See you in the Distortion World, coward." Skuntank turned around and tackled Crobat and Weezing, knocking them through the window as the gas in the room exploded with so much force that the tower was blasted apart. He landed on Weezing's head in mid-air and slowly fell to the ground. He shouted as the massive slabs of stone rained down on the small crowd below. "Look out!"

He launched a dark pulse to shatter the sandstone slabs into smaller pieces in an attempt to lessen the damage, but the incantations on the walls reflected it without so much as a scratch. How they were blown up by a fireball was beyond him. He watched in angst as the entire courtyard was buried beneath the remains of the tower as it collapsed in an instant.

He leapt off of Weezing's back and activated strength, landing on the ground and shoving his head underneath the rubble, flipping the sandstone slabs over in search of the pokémon beneath them. He cursed under his breath as he continued moving the stone. "Come on… Come on… This is _not_ how it ends!"

He flipped another slab, and Connor's body was beneath it, hunched over Vulcan's body in a protective way. The Charizard turned his head weakly, and Skuntank pushed the stones aside further. Vulcan's tail and left arm were pinned beneath a couple boulders, and Skuntank kept muttering under his breath, hoping Connor was alright. "Hey, wake up!" he pushed against the Swampert's arms, which gave way with no resistance. Skuntank growled and glanced at Crobat. "Get me a reviver seed! Stat!"

Crobat pulled a seed out of the wonder bag, and Skuntank put it onto Connor's neck. But it didn't spread its roots out. "No… Come on! This is _not_ how you're going out! You're way tougher than that!" he shouted angrily. He pushed the Swampert off of Vulcan and quickly moved the stones off of the Charizard's tail and arm. Vulcan struggled to stand, and Skuntank's breathing accelerated as he turned back to Connor. "Connor, I swear… After everything I put you through, if you die now..."

The Swampert laid motionless on the ground, and Skuntank looked around at the rubble-filled clearing, completely at a loss for what to do. He flinched as the Garchomp burst from beneath the rubble to his left and glared at Skuntank.

"Go find Mirage!" he cut the Garchomp off before he said anything. "These two need help _now_!"

The Garchomp's eyes widened, but he nodded in understanding and dashed across the ruins with amazing agility.

"Skuntank… What happened…?" Vulcan murmured weakly. "The tower blew up…"

"One of the Mafia members," he said. "He used explosion."

"Connor… He's dead…" the Charizard cried weakly as he laid there. "He shielded me from the boulders… And now he's gone…"

"No! I will not accept that! He's _not_ gonna die getting by a stupid rock!" Skuntank growled and shoved the reviver seed into the back of Connor's neck again.

"Skuntank… I'm sorry..." Vulcan cried.

"Now's not the time for apologies, kid! First we get your team fixed up! Then we beat the bad guys! That's how this works! You lay there while I fix your friend!"

 **-King of the Desert-**

"This way, my lord!" Heimdall said as they flew through the courtyard. He opened a passage through a wall and beckoned them forward. "In here! I will deal with the intruders!"

"Heimdall, where's my daughter?!" the Queen exclaimed. The Aegislash responded without hesitation. "She is with Andreas, your majesty."

"Okay…" she hesitantly said. Then Heimdall glanced behind them and rushed forward. "My queen, look out!"

The Queen darted forward without hesitation, narrowly avoiding a megahorn attack by an Ariados. The King used fire punch, but he was body slammed by a Noivern, then kicked again before he could recover. He rolled across the ground, and Heimdall changed forms from his shield form to battle form, drawing both of his arms out of his shield and forming one into a razor-sharp sword while the other held the shield. He used sacred sword on the Noivern, but it flew to the side while the Ariados shot a sticky web at him. He sliced through it and used king's shield, blocking the Noivern's night slash and draining some of its energy in the process. It retreated, and Heimdall dissolved into shadows, reappearing right in front of it in midair and slicing its wing clean off with a sacred sword attack. The Dragon-type spiraled downwards and crashed into the sand, and the King gasped as the Ariados leapt at his bride while they were distracted by the Noivern's severed wing fluttering to the ground. "Victoria! NO!"

She closed her fists and formed a sand shield around herself in retaliation, but the Ariados forced her way through the still unsolid sand and used poison jab. He heard her weak grunt of pain as the Ariados' attack pierced her chest, and he felt the entire desert cease all movement for a split second. And in that moment, he knew he was too late. "No…"

The Ariados withdrew its needle-like arm from her chest, and she fell to the ground, motionless. He shook his head and forced himself to his feet. The Ariados turned to him, then arched its eyebrow. Then it gasped and looked at her once more before slowly backing away, seemingly in shock. He flew forward as fast as he could, grabbed her by her neck and ignited his fist, burning the bug-type's throat as he slammed her into the wall, holding her at eye level. "What did we ever do to you…?"

The Ariados gasped for breath and silently screamed as he burned his fist hotter and clenched down on her throat. "I hope you know that this means war… You killed her… You killed my bride, and now you will suffer my kingdom's wrath."

"Your highness, stop!" Heimdall ordered. "If we wish to know who sent this pokémon, you cannot kill her!"

He took several deep breaths and looked at his wife's body, then slammed the Ariados into the sand by the back of her neck. Heimdall bound her with shadowy shackles, and Gabriel teleported to the King's side, appearing in a swirl of sand. *Your majesty, what…* the Claydol's words trailed off as the king slowly walked up to his wife, tears in his eyes. "Victoria… I'm so sorry…" he knelt over her body and wept. "I will see to it that whoever sent them… will pay dearly."

He looked into her eyes and wiped the sand off of her expressionless face. Then he looked up at Gabriel, then the Ariados, keeping an even tone as he spoke. "Extract every bit of information she knows... and secure the rest of Team Firestorm. This is now our war." he held Victoria in his arms and wept over her body.

 **-Mirage-**

"Mirage!"

She nearly cried with joy as Andreas dashed across the sand and skidded to a halt in front of her. "Hurry! Connor and Vulcan!"

"No…" her smile vanished as she took off next to him. They flew around the side of the palace, and before long, she saw Skuntank, Weezing and Crobat gathered around Connor. When she got closer, she saw that he wasn't moving. "No… Not him!"

Andreas landed on the ground and sprinted across the clearing, using his momentum to shove the massive slabs of stone aside without slowing down. They were thrown to his left and right, carving a path directly to the Swampert. She flew forward and pushed Skuntank aside. "What did you do?!"

Skuntank moved closer to Connor and placed a reviver seed on the back of his neck, catching her completely off guard. "What…?"

"Oh, so you got a different attitude now that I openly help. But guess what? It doesn't work." he deadpanned as the reviver seed dropped to the ground, still unused. "I hope you know someone that can do what a reviver seed can't."

She instantly said the first name that came to mind. "Roy…"

Skuntank chuckled and tilted his head. "Roy?"

"That's my name!" the ghost-type's voice rang throughout the clearing, and the shadows cast by the slabs of collapsed stone merged together until Roy was floating in front of them. "You rang?"

"Connor! He's…" Mirage choked back a sob, and Roy glanced at the Swampert briefly before looking at the collapsed top half of the sandstone tower. "...I presume the Mafia blew up… whatever this is?"

"Yeah," Skuntank confirmed. "And it's a palace."

"A palace in the northern desert? How come I've never-" then Heimdall materialized between them. "You mean to harm the Queen?!"

Before Mirage could stop him, he used night slash, coating his blade in a pitch-black energy. Roy closed his eyes and vanished in the blink of an eye, not even phasing into darkness. Then he was right next to Mirage. "So… Who's this guy?"

"Heimdall, he's with us!" she quickly said, forcing him to retract his blade. Then she looked around, noticing her parents' absence. "Where are my parents? And why did you call me the…" then she covered her mouth with her hands. "No…"

Heimdall looked to the ground and hesitantly spoke. "Your mother… has been killed in combat."

She shook her head and began crying. "NO! That's not true! She can't die! She-"

"Your highness… You are the queen now." Heimdall said with a respectful bow.

She covered her mouth with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. "This can't be happening… I thought we were safe here…"

She walked over to Connor's body and cried, tears running down her face from all of her anguish. "I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have brought you here..."

He looked surprisingly well. His skin was only broken in one spot that she saw, with no more than a few bruises along his backside. And he looked… peaceful. She laid her head on his chest and hugged him, crying, begging for him to come back. "Connor, please… I don't know what to do… Please, come back..."

Vulcan limped over to her, and Roy looked at Vulcan's broken leg with disgust and said something under his breath. A small breeze picked up, and the bruises in Vulcan's leg vanished. His arm was still broken, but he placed his full weight on the leg and sighed with relief, but he just stared at Connor alongside the rest of them.

Roy sighed and extended a shadow to reach Connor's body, then shook his head with shadowy tears slowly rolled down his face. "He's gone..."

Andreas growled and stormed off. Mirage flew next to him and forced down her tears. "Where… Where are you going?"

"To find the king. I want to know who did this!" he raged.

"That won't help anything!" she sobbed. "They're gone, and there's nothing we can do to change that!"

She began crying as Andreas slammed his wing into one of the pillars in frustration with a short growl.

"It's my fault… I shouldn't have come here… Now Connor and my mother are dead..."

Andreas tried to say something to comfort her, but he couldn't find any words. So he just stood there silently while she buried her face in her hands and wept.

* * *

 _ **... Heavy chapter. Not much to add.**_

 _ **-PL**_


	27. Once A Human

**-XXVII: Once A Human…-**

 **-Victor-**

"Master Victor, the attack on the desert palace was a success," Koumori said with a small smile. "As you expected, Widow and Flatline were both killed in combat, _and_ they managed to take out Connor and Mirage."

Victor just smirked and stepped forward. "Excellent. Now all that's left are Vulcan, Alice, Roy and Aaron. We can finish them ourselves; It was Connor who was the biggest threat."

"With all due respect, sir... why are you glad that the assassins are out of the picture?" Koumori asked.

Victor chuckled in response before explaining his thought process. "Their usefulness had run its course. Out of all fifteen of this team, only four pokémon remain. Eliminating them will be simple work now that their strongest are out of the way, and since they are gone, that eliminates the need to pay them."

Mordred stepped forward and looked to his master with determination. "Leave them to me, master."

Victor nodded and waved him off. "Go on, then. Crush them with no remorse. Their blood will stain Immanis for decades to come."

"I will not disappoint you," Mordred said as he knelt on one knee and placed his arm diagonally across his chest.

"I know-"

"Seriously? Is it not enough to have unimaginable wealth?" the all too familiar female voice echoed throughout the room.

"No…" Victor gasped as a tornado of fire sparked to life in the center of the congregation. Valerie stepped out of the fire and spread her arms with a smile that somehow felt hostile. "I told you not to tell anyone about our little meeting, didn't I? By the way, I hope you know that Soulburner is out of the picture, too. Dusknoir gave him the banishment he deserves."

Mordred stepped between them, and she pushed him aside with a light flick of her wand. He was thrown against the wall and gasped as the section of stone turned to liquid instantaneously and enveloped him until only his face was poking out of the solid surface, like a cocoon. He grunted and strained against the rehardened rock, but Valerie just scowled and pointed her wand at Victor. "You've caused so many pokémon so much pain… You know, just before I decided to pay you a visit, I asked myself, 'Why have I let him live this long'?" then she smirked as her wand glowed and extended into a full-length wooden staff with intricate markings carved into the hilt. "Guess why… Go on, I won't judge."

Koumori fluttered silently behind the Delphox, and she looked around innocently as Victor remained silent. "He never mentioned me, did he? Well, I'll give you two the short version; Once upon a time, a silver-skinned Fennekin named Valerie lived all alone in a forest. Her parents abandoned her when she was just a pup because of her fur. It was reflective and attracted predators. She had to learn everything by herself; How to eat, how to defend herself… It was tough. She was constantly a target for predators. Then came along a little Murkrow. He was a very charming individual. Valerie was in the middle of foraging for berries when this Murkrow landed next to her and asked why her fur was sparkly."

Victor teared up and shook his head. "Stop."

"I'd rather not," she said as she took a seat on the floor. "Koumori, you can sit. I just want to buy some time real quick by telling you all a story."

The Crobat glanced between her and Victor, and he nodded, completely aware of what she could do to them all. "Do as she says."

The Crobat slowly fluttered to the ground and propped herself against a wooden shelf. Valerie sighed and turned to Mordred as she continued. "Does any of this sound familiar to you? You've known him the longest, after all. And Vic, feel free to correct me if I miss anything important!" she said over her shoulder.

"I will," he growled. _What does she hope to accomplish with this?_

"Okay, back to my story… Where was I? Oh, right! The Murkrow asked her about her fur. Why was it so sparkly? Was she born that way? Of course, Valerie, being the sass-master that she is, shooed him away with an ember attack at first. But this didn't discourage the Murkrow. He was determined to know the secret to her sparkly pelt! But he decided to follow her in secret. Or so he thought. She knew when others were watching her. It was a special gift she had."

Victor lightly exhaled through his nose, smiling wistfully at the memory. He wanted to speak, but he didn't know where this was going. So he remained silent.

"But, unfortunately, little Valerie was too distracted by the Murkrow to notice another pokémon following her."

Victor winced as his memories flashed before his eyes.

 ***Flashback***

"Hey, watch out!" he shouted from the trees. He saw a shadowy pokémon in the bushes stalking the little Fennekin and couldn't stay quiet.

The little fox turned around and shot a psywave at the pokémon as it sprinted towards her, but it just pushed through the attack without slowing down and slashed across her chest with its claws. She was sent tumbling backwards, and he dove out of the trees above them both. "Hey!"

The pokémon snarled at him and vanished in the blink of an eye. "Wha-?!"

Then he flew face-first into a tree that appeared out of nowhere. He fell to the ground, and the entire forest went up in flames. He gasped and looked around frantically. "Hey! Fennekin!"

Then the shadowy pokémon leapt through the flames and raked its claws across his face, narrowly avoiding his eye. He flew into the air, then gasped as the entire world spun on its axis. His senses were thrown around until he flew face-first into the dirt, unable to tell up from down. He teared up as the shadowy entity drew closer, with scarlet flames dripping off of its claws and burning the ground.

"H-Help!" he cried out while frantically trying to back away.

The entity chuckled and stalked closer, every step filling him with more and more dread. He closed his eyes and sunk to the ground, paralyzed with fear as the trees around him seemed to wrap their roots around his legs, making their way up his body until he felt… nothing. He opened his eyes as he felt the heat vanish, and a Zoroark was unconscious on the ground, with the silver-skinned Fennekin proudly standing atop it. "Hi."

"H-Hi..." he managed with a nervous smile. He slowly walked up to her and glanced at the Dark-type warily. "What happened to the fire?"

"This Zoroark can make illusions that seem real. I think that's what he did to you. It was never really there."

"Oh… Are you sure he's knocked out?" he asked as he backed away from the Zoroark.

"Of course!" the Fennekin laughed. "I'm Valerie, by the way," she said with an enchanting smile.

"I'm… I'm Victor," he managed. His thoughts became jumbled as she looked him up and down.

"So why were you following me?" she asked. Her voice was filled with curiosity, but he found it surprisingly charming.

"Oh! Uh…" he rubbed the back of his head and laughed nervously. "Your fur is sparkly…?"

"That's it?" she asked as she leapt off of the Zoroark's chest to look him in the eyes.

"I mean, you're kind of pretty, too…" he nervously said.

She tilted her head to the side quizzically. "Pretty…? What's that mean?"

"You're kidding, right?" he asked with a chuckle. But she just stared at him, completely oblivious. "...You're not kidding."

"Why? Is it something mean?" her facial features became more hostile, and he quickly placed his wings in the air. "N-No! Of course not! It's just… Everyone knows that word..."

This was taking a very awkward turn that he didn't like.

"If you say so!" she beamed. He just stared at her as she turned around quickly and prodded the Zoroark's arm with her paw. "This guy's been terrorizing other pokémon for months now. I just hope an exploration team finds him before he wakes up."

"Why don't we just bring him in?" he asked. "If we took him down, then that's _our_ reward, right?"

"Do you want to drag him to the nearest town?" she asked.

"Not really…"

"That's why. Exploration teams have an awesome badge teleporter thing that transports outlaws and pokémon they've rescued anywhere they want!"

"Really?" he flinched as the Zoroark exhaled louder than normal, but Valerie just smiled and began prancing away. "Really. Now if you're gonna keep following me, we might as well make a team. What do you say?"

"A Team?" he asked nervously. "Like, that hunt outlaws?"

"No, I don't like doing any of that stuff. I want to explore unknown places and find treasure and make discoveries that will last for centuries! I want to do something that when I have kids, _their_ kids can know that I made a difference in the world!"

"Oh. Okay, sure," he said confidently. The Fennekin grinned and began prancing across the forest floor. "Alright! Let's do this! What should we be called? I want something to do with fire! Or illusions! Or magic! Or all three!" then she paused and looked at him with a sheepish smile. "Do you have any ideas…?"

He shook his head an shrugged. "I dunno... How about..."

 ***Reality***

"But, unfortunately, that didn't work out, as you can see…" Valerie said with a sad smile. "I became a Temporal Guardian, he became the most feared crime boss on Immanis… Some things just don't work out, do they, Vic?"

He wiped a tear from his eye with a scowl, and Valerie just sighed wistfully. "Things were so much simpler back then… I almost miss the past. But I like the future more. It's always able to be changed."

She stood up and shrunk her staff back down to a wand-sized twig. "I'll warn you one more time… For old time's sake. Stop while you're ahead."

She pointed her wand at the wall where Mordred was trapped, and he fell out of the wall and onto to the floor. Victor just gritted his teeth silently as the Bisharp stood up slowly and glared at Valerie.

"Mordred… Let her go." Victor commanded.

"Master Victor-"

"That's an order." his voice deepened as he stepped forward, and Mordred retracted his arm blades with visible hesitation.

He sighed and looked up at her. "...Valerie, please… I have to do this."

"No… you really don't," she said as she teared up slightly. "They need to live, for the sake of the world later. And if you continue down the path you've chosen… You're going to destroy the world."

"I've already devoted my life to this cause," he reassured her. "Nothing you can say will change my mind."

"Victor…" she turned away from him and ignited a tornado of fire that rose to the ceiling. "I am sorry for leaving, you know. Not a day goes by that I don't think of what I should have done differently."

"So you're just going to leave again?" he asked with tears in his eyes. He was unable to keep them back any longer. "You _seem truly_ sorry."

"You're not the pokémon I fell in love with," she bluntly replied without turning around. "...Make your choice, Vic. Quit while you're ahead, or face Team Firestorm's wrath. And if you choose the latter… It won't be pretty for any of you."

"I will not back down! You weren't there for me when I was imprisoned and asking myself where you went, and I sure as hell don't need you now!" he screamed at her, and she stepped into the tornado of fire without another word. He covered his face with his wing and waved Mordred and Koumori away after the flames were extinguished. "Leave me! And do not speak of this to anyone!"

When he heard the door close, he wiped the tears from his eyes, taking deep, quivering breaths.

 **-Roy-**

As soon as Mirage went off in search of the Garchomp, Roy tilted his head at Skuntank, making sure to keep an even tone as he spoke. "So… what are _you_ doing here? And why hasn't Vulcan killed you yet?"

"Because I'm with you guys now," Skuntank snapped back. "I've explained this so many times!"

Roy half-acknowledged him while floating directly up to Connor, brushing him with his cloak-like appendage and casting the shadows of the palace into his wounds. The blood on the back of his neck was evaporated as his wound closed and healed over, and he blinked back tears as the healing took place. He'd actually grown quite fond of Connor. The Swampert _was_ his favorite member of the original team, even before he evolved.

Roy sighed and looked away as the shadows continued to heal his skin, temporarily dying it a slightly darker shade of blue.

He grimaced as he felt the darkness healing Connor's broken bones. They bent back into place and were bound together by shadows. Then, in a brief moment, he felt something… different. Like an unshakeable feeling in his soul that something was off. He glanced at Skuntank, who was staring in Connor's direction, his jaw hanging open.

 _Hm?_

Roy, out of curiosity, turned around and nearly had the same reaction.

In place of the Swampert was a bipedal being with dark sand-colored skin and short, dark brown hair that was extremely curly and coarse. Roy floated closer and just stared at this new creature who was lying on the ground, completely awestruck. _Connor…?_

His entire physique was smaller and more lean than the Swampert he knew; His arms were less than half their original size, but they were proportionally longer. He also had five slender fingers instead of three at the end of his slender arms. His legs were as long as the rest of his body, so he almost resembled a Sawk, but without a white cloak, and smaller arms and hands. And sandstone-colored skin that almost blended into the rubble of the tower. Roy tilted his head slightly and floated closer, trying to recall where he'd seen a creature like this before.

 _When I revived Amber… But she looked different. She had long, straight hair, was more lean and had a different-looking chest. Are they the same species?_

Skuntank moved slightly closer, and the strange creature jolted to life. "Gah!" it stood up in the blink of an eye and lunged at Roy, but he went intangible, and its fist phased right through him. "What the-?! Connor! It's me!"

The creature stumbled over the ruins and turned around, clenching its fists. Then he gasped lightly from atop the mound of rubble. "...Roy?"

"Oh my… What… how in Arceus'..." Roy stared at this creature, completely awestruck. He didn't sense any soul return to the body, and he certainly knew that he was dead ten seconds ago. How was he alive? And what _was_ he?

"Where am I?" the strange pokémon asked quickly.

"The Kingdom of the Northern Desert, I think. Mirage brought you here, and the Mafia blew up the tower. I thought you... W-We all thought you…"

"Mirage?" he seemed confused by that name, given his dazed expression and constantly shifting eyes.

"Connor… Do you know who we are?" he asked hopefully.

"I… know you. You're Roy... But you're not with the Insurgo... How do I know you?" he grabbed the sides of his head and looked to the ground, as if it would give him an answer.

"Because you're the leader of Team Firestorm! I'm a member of your team!"

"No… I didn't make a team. I came to the past to fix the future! That was my mission!"

"Fix the future… You mean the future of darkness? That's already been fixed!" Roy exclaimed.

"That's impossible! If it were changed, I wouldn't be here!" he closed his eyes, then shook his head vigorously, seemingly in frustration. "What did you do to me?! Why can't I transform?!"

"Uh… I don't know…" Roy muttered, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening. "You've never been able to before..."

Then Connor looked to Team Skull angrily. "I've read about you three… You sabotaged the great heroes attempts to restore time!"

"W-What?!" Skuntank stammered. "Connor, you _know_ us!"

"No I don't! I don't know any of this!" he shouted at them as he began backing away.

Roy was at a complete and utter loss for words. This had taken a completely unexpected turn.

"Connor!" Vulcan called out from behind Roy, and Connor turned around and narrowed his eyes. "...Who are you?"

Tears rolled down the Charizard's face as he stared at the bipedal creature standing atop the rubble of the ruins. Roy's jaw dropped as he observed Connor's posture and facial expressions changing constantly between fear, curiosity, desperation and confusion. _This can't be happening..._

* * *

 _Some more interesting backstory-narration, as well as a surprise that Connor's alive. But... has amnesia again._

 _-PL_


	28. Transcending Evolution

**-Chapter XXVIII: Transcending Evolution-**

 **-Alice-**

She awoke with a start, nearly falling out of the vine-woven hammock as it swung back and forth. Tears fell to the ground as she shook her head, trying to get the images out of her mind. _That's just where the evil pokémon go… We're not going there._

She growled and stood up as she saw Larua somehow pointing her finger at her, still bound to the wall by enormous vines. "You keep showing me those images of the Distortion World… Why?"

"Why have we been here for two days?" Larua asked.

"Because I'm being paid to make sure you stay here," B fluttered down from a hole in the roof and gently pressed her needle-like arm into the ghost-types throat, forcing her head against the wall. Then her eyes widened slightly as the female Beedrill pressed harder. "I've been _extremely_ lenient on you. I don't know why you're still conscious, but I'm about to fix that."

Then the Banette began laughing. "Hm-hm-hm-hm-ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha! HA-HA-HA-HA!"

B narrowed her eyes as Larua opened her mouth just enough to speak. "You're too late…"

"Too late for what?" Alice questioned.

"You're all that's left! Hee-hee-ha-ha!"

"All that's left… No…" Alice covered her mouth, and Beatrice injected poison into the ghost-type's skin, knocking her out instantaneously.

"Alice, don't listen to her. I have what I need to know. She's been trying to get in our heads anytime she's been awake."

"But… I felt something…" Alice looked to the ground and closed her eyes, sending out an aura pulse to where she felt the disturbance originate from. "One of them is hurt… Really badly. And two- no, three… Three of them are mourning. I can feel it."

"Where?"

"Somewhere north… Uh…" Alice honed her vision and leaned against the wall in an attempt to keep upright. "Northern Desert…? That doesn't make any sense… What are they doing all the way out there?"

"How can you sense where they are?" B asked. "Only powerful psychics can locate other pokémon remotely."

"It's a gift I have… I can sense emotions on a spiritual level. I can sense my team's easier, since I've been with them longer and gotten more practice at honing in my ability, but… It doesn't make any sense…"

"Well, since you know where they are, why don't you go find them? My priority is here, with these pokémon. It's clear that your team is your priority."

"Are you sure you'll be alright with all four of them here?"

B simply prodded the Haxorus' arm with her lance-like arm. "Of course. I'll be monitoring them the entire time with a substitute clone."

"Okay… Do you know any way to get there really fast?"

"I can use my explorer's badge to warp you there," B replied as she held up a small golden badge. "Then you're on your own."

Alice smiled and tilted her head down momentarily. "Thank you…"

"It's not a problem," B replied. "But where in the Northern Desert are they? That's a lot of ground to cover by yourself."

"I can find them once I get there," she assured the Beedrill.

"If you say so." B smiled and held up her badge. "I've enjoyed our time together. It's given me a break from my daily routine, even if I hated you at first."

"Me too," Alice said half-heartedly. "Sorry, I just… I can't bear the thought of thinking that they might not… Y'know… they might not be here anymore."

"I understand," the Beedrill hummed. "Good luck."

Her badge glowed with a golden hue, and Alice felt the teleportation effect take hold of her body as she was whisked away in a flash of golden light. She only felt that exhilarating feeling for a brief moment before the golden sphere surrounding was enveloped in darkness, and she was thrown out of the warping effect, tumbling across hardened sandstone fragments, cutting and bruising her skin as she was slammed into a solid stone wall. She groaned and laid on her back, staring up at the bright blue sky. "Ow… Ow, ow…" she saw two familiar pokémon and gasped out loud. "Roy! Vulcan! Oh, thank Arceus!"

She struggled to her feet as the ghost-type greeted her with a small tilt of his hat. "Alice."

"What kind of 'hi' is that?!" she said with a grin as she pulled him into a hug. "I haven't seen you in a week! I thought you guys might have died! How are you together?! Where are we? I have so many questions!"

"Well, so do we…" Roy muttered. "Look behind you."

Alice turned around, following Roy's gaze to the tan-skinned pokémon sitting on the ground, curled into a ball about fifteen feet away.

"Uh… Hi. I'm Alice." the pokémon looked at her with a dazed expression, but didn't respond. "...What's your name?"

"Alice… That's Connor." Vulcan lamented.

She turned her head towards him, making sure she heard him right. "What?"

The tan-skinned pokémon stood up, and she immediately closed her eyes to try and read this pokémon's emotions. But she was too confused and shocked. There was no way that was Connor!

"Alice… My name is Connor. But I'm not who you remember," he said. When he spoke, tears filled her eyes. That was his voice, without a doubt. Maybe a little bit less gravelly, but definitely him.

"Wh-what do you mean? You can't be him! He's a-"

"I was a Swampert, I know. Those two have been explaining everything to me that they know," the fighting-type sat on one of the pieces of rubble and shrugged lightly. "So… Here's what we know: I got amnesia because I shielded the Charizard from the falling debris. Somehow I regained my memories of my past life… The one about the time gears-"

"She wasn't there for that," Vulcan quickly interjected.

"Oh. Well, I remember my past before this team, but I've forgotten everything from the past… 3 years, I think. Right? That's how long I've known you guys, apparently."

Roy nodded, and Alice just shook her head in an attempt to wrap her mind around what was going on. "But… Why aren't you a swampert?"

"Because when I got amnesia… I think my human form took over again. So now I'm just a human."

"Human… Aren't they supposed to not exist in this world?" she asked. "I'm not big on mythology, but Arceus created _this_ world just for Pokémon, right?"

"Now you're just sounding discriminatory," Connor said as he stood up. "But I know you're confused. So am I. I was a human born in the future, destined to save the world with Grovyle. That's all I remember. So now I have no idea what's going on. Even with Roy and… Sorry, I forgot your name, Charizard."

"...Vulcan." he replied through the tears in his eyes.

"Vulcan. Right… I'm sorry for whatever you're going through. I truly am. And I'm sorry that you have to see me like this. I would never wish this upon anyone." Then he looked at her again, finishing his previous sentence. "Even with those two explaining everything to me."

Alice looked between them, completely in disbelief. "Connor… How do you not remember?"

"I don't know. Roy's been trying different spells on me for the past ten minutes. So far nothing's worked."

"You guys have been sitting here for ten minutes?" Then she looked around further, truly taking in her surroundings. Her jaw dropped as she realized the size of the structure she was within. "Whoa… What is this place?"

Roy sighed and began explaining. "It's the palace of the Northern Desert. Don't question it. It's here, so we're using it for tonight. The Mafia already found us somehow, so we have to move _again._ " he said annoyedly. "Plus, it ends up that Mirage is the Queen of the Desert now. Isn't that exciting?"

"Roy, stop being confusing!"

"Team Firestorm." a powerful male voice echoed across the courtyard, and Vulcan knelt on one knee while Roy tilted his head down. "Your majesty."

Alice tilted her head and saw a colossal Flygon towering above the ruins. It had a crown atop its head decorated with green and red gems. Alice copied Vulcan and knelt as well, deciding it was better to follow his lead.

The king flew down to meet them, and when he got close, she could feel the anguish and sorrow overflowing from his body as if it were her own. "I'm truly sorry, but… My daughter has asked me to inform you myself… You are all that is left of Team Firestorm."

"No…" Alice whimpered. "That's…"

"It's true," Roy sniffled. "I could sense when each of them passed on… Aside from Manaphy, Mirage and Dawn… We're the only ones left."

 **-Roy-**

He scowled and looked away from Alice as she wept. _This is going great…_ he said to himself. Then he looked up at the cloudless sky overhead, observing the bright colors caused by the sunset, staining the sky hundreds of shades of purple and orange.

"It's sundown already?"

"Time is sped up in the desert," the King said as he moved closer. "Days are reduced by about three hours."

"Oh, yeah, that makes _perfect_ sense..." Roy muttered as Team Skull moved from around the rubble. Alice ignited her fists when she saw them. "Watch out!"

She leapt forward, but Vulcan grabbed her mid-leap and held her back. "They're on our side now."

"But-"

"I know! I know… They're Team Skull. It's their fault we're here. But just… Don't attack them. They're trying to help."

Alice pulled away from him with disbelief. "Vulcan… What are you talking about? They're Team Skull!"

Skuntank sighed and looked to the ground. "Listen, Alice… I explained this to Mirage and everybody else; We want to help you guys beat them."

Alice's gaze flittered back and forth between Team Skull, Vulcan, the King and Connor. Her mouth was hanging slightly open, and Roy understood why. She was tied to all of their emotions. At least, that's how she explained it. Whatever they felt, she felt, to an extent. They were all confused… hurt… angry… filled with sorrow… That was a lot for somebody to bear.

Roy formed a fireball in front of him as a section of sand swirled upwards, solidifying into a Claydol who looked to the King. *Your highness, may I begin rebuilding the tower?*

"Yes," the King absently waved his hand in approval. "Do what you must."

The Claydol's eyes glowed as it began rotating in a circle, and Roy slowly dissipated the mystical fire. They all flinched as the remains of the collapsed tower were enveloped in a pink glow. Roy floated backwards as the smaller sections were lifted off of the ground, followed by the larger sections. The Claydol rotated increasingly faster until the largest slabs of sandstone were being held hundreds of feet above their heads. Roy watched, completely awestruck, as the cloud of rubble was swirled in a circle and slowly stacked together like a giant puzzle. But instead of send more rubble flying everywhere, it all merged together as if it were being held by a stickyweb.

Piece by piece, the top half of the tower was being rebuilt by a single psychic type. "How…" his jaw dropped as the slabs of stone more than forty feet long were rotated in midair, floating weightlessly. When they clashed together, Roy could feel the shockwaves travel through the air, pushing a small gust of wind across the courtyard. Once the final pieces were forced together, the Claydol's rotation ceased.

Roy's sorrow was replaced with awe as the entire courtyard was restored to almost perfect condition. That was one of the most impressive feats of psychic strength he'd ever witnessed.

Once the Claydol assured it was structurally sound by allowing him to tug on it with psychic, the King pointed towards the top. "Go and rest. Our fight starts tomorrow."

"You're fighting with us?" Alice asked with a bit of hopefulness in her voice.

"Yes. This Pokémon Mafia has declared war on the Kingdom of the Sands. And I intend to destroy them."

Connor grunted and tapped Roy's shoulder. "The pokémon Mafia? What's that?"

Roy pursed his lips and took a deep breath. Hearing Connor ask that was definitely up there on the scale of strangest things he's been asked. It never occurred to him that Connor forgot about the Mafia as well.

"They're… The pokémon that are hunting down our team," he said. "That's the short version."

"Okay. So what can I do to help?"

"Can you use any fighting-type moves?" Roy asked.

"Actually… I can't use pokémon moves," Connor admitted with reluctance.

"Oh. Uh… Maybe Amber will know what to do."

"Amber's here?" Connor asked with a smile. "That's great!"

"Yeah… I don't know where she is, though. I think they're still looking for us."

"We need to let them know where we are!" Connor said with a grin. "Amber can give me back my power, then we'll be fine!"

"How do you know her?" Vulcan asked.

"She's a… a pokémon from the future," he said with brief hesitation. Roy narrowed his eyes, but shrugged and dismissed it. There was no way he was prying any information out of him.

"I will send my pokémon to find them," the King interjected. "Now go rest."

"In there?" Skuntank questioned. "That's where we were _just_ attacked!"

"The palace is protected by a psychic barrier after the attack. Nobody outside of the kingdom can get in without special permission." the King wiped a tear from his eye, and Skuntank just sighed and tilted his head down. "Yes, sir."

 ***Later That Evening***

 **-Roy-**

Once he was sure that everyone was asleep, he floated through the wall and took in the moonlight illuminating the palace. He smiled and took several deep breaths, taking in all of the surrounding villages and towns within and outside of the walls. It was surprisingly peaceful. He saw the occasional nocturnal predator prowling on the edges of the horizon, but for the first time since their first battle with the Mafia, he felt at peace. Even when he learned his past, it just bothered him more and more every time he thought about it. When he restored Dawn's sight, that was arguably the best moment of his life. But this was different. It was just… peace. Almost unearthly.

"Uh… Hi-"

Roy teleported into the shadow realm and reappeared behind the pokémon who was floating above the palace. Then he just smiled. "Dawn… It's about time you got here. Did you finish whatever it was you were doing?"

"Yup!" she replied with a smile as she turned around in midair and kissed him. He embraced her as they floated weightlessly in the night sky, and she looked to the horizon. Roy followed her gaze, then looked back at her. She seemed to be deep in thought, but he knew what that was like, so he left her alone for a moment. Then she spoke up. "Roy… You want to go exploring?"

"Exploring?" he asked with a light laugh. "I'd love to, but I need to stay here in case anything happens."

"Please?"

Roy's smile wavered as tears lined the edges of the Kirlia's eyes. "Dawn… What's wrong?"

"I want to go to Luminous Springs. I heard the voice in my head saying I needed you with me." she murmured.

"Me specifically?" he glanced back at the sandstone tower where the remainder of his team was sleeping, then back at her. "...Fine. But I want to be back before sunrise."

"Okay," she said with a half-smile. Roy couldn't ignore it now. "Dawn, seriously, what's wrong? You have an 'I'm upset' look written all over your face."

"Nothing. I just… I dunno." she briefly blinked, then smiled. "It's nothing. Let's go!"

Roy sighed and drew the shadows cast by the palace into himself, deciding to ignore her avoidance of the subject. "Race to Luminous Springs?"

"You're on." Dawn said with a smirk. "Onetwothreego!"

She vanished in a flash of light, and Roy phased into shadows. Once he was in the shadow realm, he distorted the space around him, just as Dusknoir had taught him. Then he rose out of the ground in a clearing in a forest, with silver beams of moonlight streaming through the canopy, illuminating the ground in the soft glow. There was a giant hole dug out in the center of the clearing, which he just levitated over. He smirked as Dawn appeared in front of him a couple minutes later.

"How did you get here faster?" she asked.

"Shadow Travel is the fastest form of transportation," he jokingly bragged, not letting it show how much that leap drained him of his energy. He was barely able to stay in the air. He took a deep breath, and when he saw a flash of light up ahead that lit up the clearing as bright as day, he tilted his head. "Oh? That's never happened before…"

"Maybe it's a sign!" she giddily flew forward until they were in the small crater filled with water. There was a constant beam of light shining down onto the pool, even in the middle of the night, giving it a mystical feel. Roy reached out with his spectral senses, not sensing any other life forms as Dawn grinned and touched the edge of the water.

The same voice that had appeared for him resonated throughout the springs as the surface of the water rippled at her touch. A deep, power-filled voice that sounded as ancient as anything he'd ever heard. Somehow it felt even more powerful than when he evolved almost two years ago. _**This… is Luminous Spring. Those that seek awakening, step forth.**_

Dawn stepped forward nervously onto the surface of the springs, the water around her feet solidifying without using her psychic abilities. Once she reached the ray of light that shone down, the voice spoke again. _**Kirlia… This is Luminous Spring. Do you seek to evolve?**_

She nodded rapidly, a grin quickly forming. "Yes! I want to evolve!"

Roy smiled behind her as the voice continued. _**Do you need an item to do so?**_

"Nope! I don't!"

 _ **So be it… Seeker of awakening… let us begin.**_

The light grew brighter around her, forcing Roy to divert his gaze, then it dimmed down after a moment. When Roy looked back, she hadn't changed. She was still a small Kirlia.

She looked at her body and her jaw nearly dropped. "Wha-?! Why didn't I evolve?"

 _ **No… You may not evolve. Your fated evolution requires an item of great importance tied to the evolution of your species.**_

"My… fated evolution? What the heck does that mean? I thought I found what was lost already!" She glanced back at Roy, but he was just as confused as she was.

 _ **The one behind you… he carries the necessary item in his bag.**_

She turned around to face him. "Roy?" His eyes widened in response. _I have something I don't know about in my bag? Since when?_

 _ **Yes. The Mismagius carries the Dawn stone needed for your evolution.**_

She looked up at the source of the light in shock. "Dawn stone?! Only boys can evolve with that, though!"

 _ **Your evolution transcends the confines of our power. Only if you hold the Stone will you be granted evolution.**_

Dawn shrugged and turned back to him. "Okay…? Hand it over, Roy."

He nodded and sifted through his wonder bag. Sure enough, its polished turquoise surface twinkled in the light of Luminous Springs. He pulled it out of his bag and handed it to her with psychic. "Okay, Luminous spring voice! I'm ready!"

The beam of light narrowed and seemed to focus on the stone in her hands, glowing brighter for only a moment before it returned to normal. _**So be it… Seeker of awakening… let us begin.**_

He watched as Dawn was lifted off of the ground. The light grew brighter and the plants around the spring all began glowing with a golden brilliance. The water beneath her swirled up into a column that enveloped her as the wind picked up speed. He squinted while keeping an eye on her inside the vortex of water.

 _Okay… this didn't happen for me… Something's off about this._

Pink fumes rose from the plant life around him, being drawn into the vortex of water. _Life energy?!_ He observed with shock. _Why does the spring need so much extra power?_

As the light died down and the water receded, his jaw dropped as a Gallade knelt down where Dawn had been a moment before. It caught its breath and stood up, being a full six feet tall, and looked at its arms in awe. "No way…"

The voice of the spring rang out louder than he had ever heard before. _**Behold… The Alpha Gallade.**_

* * *

 _ **D'Awww snap! That just happened! If you guys enjoyed this chapter, go ahead and leave any questions, comments, concerns or theories in the form of a Review or PM! Much Love!**_

 ** _-PL_**


	29. For Whom My Heart Breaks

**-Chapter XXIX: For Whom My Heart Breaks-**

 **-Roy-**

"Dawn…?" he stared at the Gallade standing on top of the water in awe. Dawn looked at her hands and sobbed with joy as she leapt to the shoreline, sticking the landing exceptionally well. "I evolved… Thank Arceus…"

Then she looked at him and extended her hand. "Roy… Thank you for everything. I… I mean it."

"It's my pleasure." he said with a smile. Then he took a deep breath and looked into her eyes nervously, suddenly unable to ignore the urge. "Dawn… I have something important to tell you."

"Important?" she asked. "Alright, let's hear it." she sat down in the grass, completely unaware of her new size as she she laid back and crossed her extremely long legs.

"Okay… Ah… Where do I begin… Um… You know how you kept saying 'it's like you know me'?"

"Yeah…?" Dawn furrowed her brows and sat up with a confused look on her face.

"Well… That's because you do. Or, you did. Um… I'm Castiel."

Dawn's face was washed white at that statement. "No… That's impossible..."

"Dawn… I was Castiel. In my past life. Somehow I was brought back in this form."

She stood up and started backing away from him in disbelief. "What…? How?"

"I don't know… But go ahead and read my mind if you want proof. It's who I was. I think that's why we got along so well, even if we didn't realize it right away."

"You're…" she closed her eyes and clenched her fists, which glowed with psychic energy. "No! Valerie showed you false memories!"

"What…"

"You're not him! You can never be him!" she sobbed and turned away from him. He felt a heavy, beating pain in his chest as she ran into the forest, disappearing in the blink of an eye. It wasn't a physical wound… But it felt as though someone was bashing him repeatedly with a bludgeon. It hurt to breathe. His throat stopped up as he tried to force the tears back. What was this feeling? It hurt so badly… He had never felt this before. "Dawn… Please, believe me…"

He took a deep breath and stared at the light shining down onto the water, feeling the pain amplify in his chest. "I don't get it… What did I do wrong?"

The springs dimmed down for a moment and Roy narrowed his eyes as the air became unusually still. Not even a breeze. He heard a twig break behind him, and he extend a shadow claw that wrapped around the pokémon's throat that appeared. Then he growled softly. "Valerie."

"Roy. You seem... hostile," she muttered as she gently pushed his hand away from her throat. "I told you not to tell her, didn't I?"

Roy grimaced and turned away from her. "I thought she'd understand after everything I did for her…" then he turned back to face her. "Dawn said… you showed me false memories. Is that true?"

"Not at all. What I showed you is the truth," she affirmed. "I promise."

"Then why doesn't she believe me?"

"Would you believe it if a random Ghost-type suddenly said, 'Hey, I'm Nocturne, just in a different body!' after eight years of thinking he was dead?"

"Well… no, but I'm telling the truth!"

"Truth is relative. What's true to one isn't necessarily true to another."

"That doesn't make any sense… Truth is truth." his voice cracked as a single tear rolled down his cheek. Valerie sighed and looked around briefly before forming a faint flame illusion with her wand. "Watch closely. I can only do this once."

She twirled her wand, and Roy's vision was replaced with images of a forest at night. Dawn was running alongside him as a six foot tall Gallade, seeming to be fleeing from something. When he looked at her, the fear in her eyes made him nervous. She seemed absolutely terrified. Which was odd, given her power and new evolution.

Then he heard his own voice cry out, "Dawn, you have to teleport us back!"

Then everything went back to normal, and Valerie cursed under her breath while slapping her wand against her open palm in frustration as if it was broken. "Damn it, Dialga… I'm trying to help!"

"What. was. _that_?" Roy asked, still in shock from the rush of emotions he'd felt in that terribly brief moment.

"Useless information, I'm afraid." Valerie pouted and looked at the light shining down on the pond, illuminating the surface of the turquoise-green water. "I've never actually been here before… It's quite serene. I like it."

"Useless information?" he tried to keep the subject relevant. "What were we running from?"

Valerie placed her wand on his mouth and smirked. "Shhhh…. It's one of those things I can't explain. I told you to watch carefully."

"There was nothing to watch!" he exclaimed. "I know we were running, but from what?"

"Uh… Responsibilities?" she shrugged dismissively and twirled her wand between her fingers. "I already said I can't tell you. See, I don't like Dialga, but I respect him and what he says. If he flat out says I can't do something… Well, let's just say it wouldn't end well if I disobeyed." _(1.)_

"But if you showed me a vision, why can't you explain what was going on in it?"

"Dialga cut the vision off. He thinks it's better if you go into this next week blind, which I completely disagree with!" she looked up at the sky angrily, as if the Temporal Lord would come through the trees or something. She sighed and flicked her wand in a figure-eight motion, and the wind picked up again, rustling the grass and shaking the trees.

"You froze time…" Roy murmured as a refreshing breeze blew across his face. "You never mentioned you could do that."

"There are a lot of things I haven't told you, Roy." when she looked up at him, he noticed that her eyes lost most of their usual mischievous luster. She looked… sad. He'd never seen her like that before. Even her tone of voice gave it away. Her irritating yet likeable attitude seemed to vanish when she unfroze Luminous Springs. "Please, for your own good… Let her go."

"Wha-?! No! You taught me all of this! You showed me my past; Who I was, and what she meant to me, and now you're telling me to let her go?"

"Yes! I thought I knew everything… But I didn't anticipate you being so foolish by revealing who you were to her."

"Foolish?!" Roy seethed. "You're calling me foolish for telling the only pokémon I love who I was to her?! I gave her a part of me!"

"And that was a foolish decision, too," she deadpanned. "But I helped, I guess… I don't know, I saw this going very differently."

"...Go away. I want nothing to do with you." Roy turned away from her, absolutely furious, and she just spoke with a gentle, silvery tone. "I don't want you to get hurt any more than you already are, so I'll tell you right now; You're obsessed with her."

"Why, because I want to help her? Because I love her?!"

"You've only been together for two weeks! If even that! Do you have any idea what she was doing for the past eight years?"

"Stop…"

"Do you think she was just sitting around, waiting for you to come back for that long? What do you _really_ know about her?"

"I. SAID. STOP!" he willed the shadows cast by the light of Luminous Springs to envelop her and drag her to the ground, but she moved her wand in a small circular pattern, and the darkness was obliterated by a blinding white light. She scowled and strode forward, holding him in the physical dimension with psychic. "Roy, _please_ listen. I don't know what part of yourself you gave to her, but you've become obsessed. You've completely forgotten the big picture."

"And what is the big picture? Huh?" he raged.

"Your teammates are dead, Roy. Who's going to save them? Not me, not Amber, or Grovyle, or even Dusknoir. We can't. Only you can. And if you continue down this path, you'll never see any of them again. Is that what you want?"

That got his attention. The rage filling his soul vanished, and he collapsed to the ground, overcome with guilt and shame. "Valerie… I attacked you…"

She gave him a motherly smile and pat his back gently. "It's alright, Roy…" she placed her hand on his forehead and hummed softly while closing her eyes. "Hmmm… Yes, that explains it… The part of yourself you gave to her was the part suppressing your anger."

"My… anger?" he asked between breaths.

"Yes… That can be reversed, but it's even more difficult than giving it away. But we'll do that later. Go back to your team. It's a few hours until sunrise."

"Okay. Yeah, that's a good idea. I'm gonna do that." he phased into the ground and rematerialized in the tower where his team slept. _Wow… That was some of the most flawless teleporting I've done yet._

Everything was glowing orange due to Vulcan's tail flame illuminating the chamber, but he managed to lie down and close his eyes, in spite of everything rushing through his mind.

 _I have to save them… I can't forget. I won't forget._

 ***The Following Morning***

"Hey, are you guys awake yet?" a gentle female voice filled their room, stirring him from his slumber. Skuntank woke with a start, as did Connor. Roy was still in shock from Connor's new form. It was so weird-looking. Like, it could be a fighting type, but it wasn't anywhere near muscular enough. Roy yawned and floated upright, observing Skuntank walking up to the door to their room. "Who's there?"

"Mirage. Can I come in?"

Connor pushed Skuntank aside and pulled the door open by the handle. Mirage slowly walked into the room and looked at them with a somber expression, not even smiling. "Let's go… We've got bad guys to beat." Roy tilted his head when he saw Manaphy curled up next to Vulcan, still sound asleep. When did he get here?

"Um… Where are they, first of all?" Roy asked.

"Gabriel extracted the information from the Ariados. Everything she knows, we know. Including their location." Mirage didn't even turn around to face him. "So let's head down to the grand hall. My father will explain everything there."

Manaphy opened his eyes and lightly shook Vulcan after a moment. "Vulcan, Mirage said to get up."

Connor had a permanent scowl across his face as he opened the wooden door and followed the Flygon down the stairs.

Vulcan sat up and winced as his arm gave out. Roy tried to use an incantation of healing, but he felt a strange sensation in his skin when he began chanting. The tingling feeling rapidly escalated to a light electric shock, then he gasped as his skin began smoldering. "Gah!"

He phased into the shadows, extinguishing the flames emanating off of him before rematerializing in the grand hall. _What was that?!_

The Aegislash from before was floating beside the King, as well as the Claydol and a Garchomp. All three of them looked ready to get a move on.  
"Mismagius." the King said with a polite bow of his head.

"Your highness." saying that left a strange taste in his mouth. He didn't know that kingdoms like this existed until yesterday, so kings seemed like something out of a fantasy. Like, something made up just to have a fun story to read.

"Where is the rest of your team?"

"They should be coming down any moment. Um… I just decided to go on ahead." he said.

"Hm. Very well." the king nodded as the Claydol spread out a scroll, unrolling it until it was easily twelve feet long by six feet wide. He floated up several feet to get a better view of it, and he smiled slightly. "That's a big map."

"Every mystery dungeon in the world, to be exact."

"Wait, the _world?_ " Roy floated closer, and sure enough, he saw Immanis in the center, surrounded by Blizzard Island, Tirtouga Isles and the Volcanic Island, but to the left and right were tons of islands that were about ¼ the size of Immanis dotting the oceans. "What are all of these places?"

"Surely you didn't think that Immanis was the only landmass in the world?" the King said with a light chuckle. "There are many continents dotting this planet. In addition to that, this map is the only one in existence that can do this…" the king tapped one of the small continents to the right, and the map's parchment surface shifted and the different shades of brown and yellow morphed until the single landmass appeared to take up over half of the paper.. Then the king tapped a specific part of the continent, and a name appeared, written in unown runes above a colossal tree that blossomed on the giant scroll as it zoomed in on a specific location. "The… Tree of Life? What's that?"

"There are rumours that say it's the source of life for the entire world." then the King tensed up as Connor walked down the stairs. "But that is for another time." he slid his hand across the map, and it returned to normal. Roy smirked as he observed the map change. _Impressive… Not even wonder maps can magnify locations like that. And what's this 'tree of life' he talked about? Could it be used to revive my teammates?_

*The tree of life is not tied to your team's fate.* the Claydol hummed.

"Hm. So you can read my mind..." Roy muttered under his breath. "Marvelous. Glad to have that clarified. That totally won't be important in any future events or anything."

"Welcome, Team Firestorm." the King said, drawing Roy's attention back to the seven pokémon emerging from the hallway nearby. "I presume Mirage has already informed you of the situation at hand?"

Skuntank nodded solemnly. "Yeah; We're going to hit these Mafia punks with everything we've got."

"So how are we going about this? Just bringing the fight to them? That will probably backfire horribly," Vulcan deadpanned.

Connor just stood to the side in silence, observing everything that was going on. Roy watched his facial expressions as Vulcan spoke, hoping for some sort of sign that he had started to remember anything. Sadly, no such luck.

"This time you will not be outnumbered five to one," the King said with a wistful smile. "But before we make any decisions there… We must take time to grieve for those lost in yesterday's attack."

Mirage sniffled, and the King turned away from the table. "Heimdall, have you arranged the tomb?"

"Yes, my lord." the Aegislash bowed forward, and the King walked past him with a solemn expression. "Follow us, please."

Roy glanced back at Vulcan and Connor, who both seemed at a loss for what to do, with the former of the two having Manaphy on his back. Alice was comforting Mirage as she wept, and Roy took a deep, elongated breath. This was all that was left… And Valerie said that he had to fix it. _But how? How can I bring their souls back after being lost for so long? Amber's wasn't too far gone, but they've been gone for a month…_

His thoughts were interrupted when Skuntank, Crobat and Weezing moved past him. Alice and Mirage moved side by side, and Vulcan walked forward with Connor trailing slightly behind. The Charizard didn't look back at the tan-colored creature. Then Roy opened his spellbook on a whim and quickly said an incantation he'd never read or even seen before. He didn't even know what he said when everyone around him vanished, leaving him alone in the massive cathedral. He blinked heavily and looked around nervously as the torches lining the hall were extinguished. "Uh… Hello?"

Where had that urge come from? And how did he pronounce it perfectly? What did he even say?

Roy's vision went dark as a wave of shadows washed over everything, and his vision came back out of nowhere, the suddenly intense sunlight blinding him. "Gah! Hah…" he was immediately surrounded by Vulcan, Alice and Mirage. "Roy!" Alice exclaimed. "Where the heck did you go?!"

"Uh… Nowhere?"

"Roy, you disappeared for almost twelve hours!" Alice blurt out with tears in her eyes. "You opened some book and vanished without a word!"

"What? No, you all vanished, and I was alone for just a few seconds! I was…" his thoughts trailed off as if he'd had a blindfold put over his mind. Where had he gone? He remembered seeing flashes of blue, and some shadows… But that was all. He grimaced and looked around, finally noticing that they were outside, in the middle of the desert. Not optimum for shadow manipulation. "Uh… Where are we?"

"We're finding the Krookodile that blew up the tower," Skuntank growled. "Somehow the punk survived. We're about to change that."

"Oh. Um… What happened to going to war, or something?"

"The King is still mobilizing his troops, and he's sending a formal letter of surrender to the Mafia, basically saying, "Hey, we're coming for you because you killed the queen. Surrender or die. Then they'll meet in a group of four before a battle unfolds, and possibly discuss negotiations of peace, blah blah blah, I don't feel like explaining," Connor said with a scowl.

"Roy, where did you go yesterday?" Vulcan changed the subject back to his disappearance, much to his dismay.

"I don't remember…" he whispered. "Why do I not remember…" then he decided to focus on the present. "What else happened while I was gone? The Queen's burial, right?"

"Yeah, that about covers it. The rest of the day, we were just resting," Connor spoke up from a fair distance away, and Roy smiled broadly as one memory became clear. "Oh! You're a human! Thank Arceus I finally figured it out! That was so annoying, not knowing what to call you."

"Roy, _he_ told us that yesterday after the Queen's burial," Vulcan said while looking away from the human.

 _But where did I even go?_ He asked himself. He was in the palace, then, suddenly… he was here. There was no way half a day had passed in those few seconds!

But when he looked up at the sky, the sun was nearing the edge of the horizon, where he could faintly see the tallest towers of the palace. _Well… Guess it's not impossible. But what did I even say?_

He pulled Valerie's book out of his cloak and flipped through the pages as they all travelled across the desert, hoping to find something related to time-travel.

 _Temporal Kinesis is the only incantation that I can think of…_ But he shook his head when he tried to read it. The letters were jumbled up and made no sense, even for an incantation. _No way I read that one…_

While he was reading, he was suddenly blasted backwards by a wave of pure malevolent energy. His skin blistered and dissolved into shadows as he tumbled across the sand. When he regained his bearings, he extended a shadow claw towards the Krookodile that rose from the sand. It slashed it apart with its own shadow claw and slammed Connor with its tail, sending the human sprawling across the sand. Vulcan flew forward and used brick break, but the Krookodile opened its massive jaws and clamped down on the fire-type's arm. Vulcan roared in pain and tried to use flamethrower, but the Krookodile twisted its head to the side and dove into the sand, bringing Vulcan with it before he could bellow the flaming attack. Vulcan cried out as his arm was torn from his shoulder when the Krookodile vanished beneath the sand. Moments later, it leapt from the desert dune and used dragon pulse, sweeping over all of them. Roy hastily said the only spell he knew could protect them. "Kilpi!"

A small orb of light appeared in front of them, expanding and absorbing the dragon pulse harmlessly. He winced as Vulcan cried out in agony, with only his upper bicep remaining. He didn't know any limb regeneration spells, and even if he did, only Dusknoir could do it well enough for it to be a suitable replacement. So instead, he used mystical fire while Team Skull took on the Krookodile. He swirled the scarlet flames around Vulcan's severed shoulder, cauterizing the wound even in spite of his fire typing. Vulcan screamed in agony as his blood was evaporated and crystallized, and Roy perked up when he noticed a change in the wind. Mirage zoomed past him almost too fast for him to see, and the next thing he knew, the Krookodile was gone.

He gasped as it burst from the sand with Mirage's tail wrapped around its neck, choking it while her claws glowed white.

"Mirage-!"

"YOU KILLED MY MOM!" she tightened her tail around his neck as he slowly crumpled to the ground, and when he tried to grab her tail with his arms, her wings began buzzing almost too fast for him to see. Roy gasped and shouted out as soon as he realized what was about to happen, "Cover your ears!"

Mirage unleashed the boomburst attack, sending a shockwave of power-filled sound that blasted a small crater in the sand. The Krookodile crumpled to the ground, nearly unconscious. He floated forward and looked into its eyes before Mirage used flamethrower on the back of its head. "I hope you realize who you've messed with," he said with fake empathy.

Roy condensed the shadows cast by the setting sun into a single blade of darkness, and the Krookodile tried to move as he realized what was happening, but Mirage punched the back of his head, making him collapse into the sand again. Roy growled and tried to move the blade, but he found himself unable to. His own mind was holding him back. Why couldn't he do it? This Krookodile just tried to kill them!

Mirage growled and dug her claws into the back of his head. "Roy, if you won't do it, I will."

"Then go on." he turned away and scowled as a single tear rolled down his cheek. Where had this sudden empathy come from?

He didn't watch, but he saw his shadow elongate as Mirage's fire blast finished the Krookodile off.

"Vulcan… We need to get your arm healed," Alice murmured. "We have to head back."

Mirage flew out of the small crater and brushed herself off. "Vulcan, we need to get you back to the palace. There are medics there that can fix your arm."

"Yeah… Sounds good." Vulcan forced through gritted teeth. "Let's go."

Connor groaned and rolled onto his stomach before pushing himself to his feet, and they all grabbed Roy's phantom hands as he phased into their own shadows.

* * *

 **(1) - Previously, when Valerie did anything brash, Dialga never explicitly said 'no'. So she likes to push the boundaries a little bit. So if that seemed a little bit out of character, that's why.**

 **Anywho, what about that chapter? Freaking Vulcan got brutally injured, and Valerie knocked some sense into Roy. So that's good. As always, I hope you guys enjoyed! If you did, feel free to leave any questions, comments, concerns or theories in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	30. Things Change

**-Chapter XXX: Things Change-**

 **-Victor-**

He grunted once as Koumori flew into his chambers silently. "Speak."

"Rogue… Was killed in combat, sir."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a long while. "...Do we know who is responsible?"

"All evidence points to Team Hope's Leader, Nashoba."

Victor growled and turned to Mordred, whose eyes were wide with shock. "Team Hope?! You told me they were taken care of! How does this happen?!"

"M-Master Victor, they were eliminated three days ago! She told me herself!"

"And you didn't think to check in person?" Victor placed his wing on his forehead in frustration. "That was a costly mistake on your part…"

"I… I understand, master."

"With all due respect, sir… Is it truly worth it to continue pursuing them? There are only four of them left; Roy, Vulcan, Alice and Aaron." Koumori asked.

"Each of them are a threat to our well-being. As long as one remains -especially Roy- then we risk losing everything."

"Victor... Rogue is dead. Does that not concern you?"

"Do not mistake my calm demeanor for being unsympathetic, Koumori." his tone gained a dangerous edge, making the Crobat nod her head nervously. "Yes, sir."

With a soft growl, he continued. "There will be time to mourn. But not now. First we eliminate Team Firestorm's last hope. Roy is our priority. With him out of the way, then we can move forward unopposed."

Victor smirked and turned to Mordred with a gleam in his eye. "And I know just the pokémon for the job."

 **-Roy-**

He waited anxiously outside of the medical chamber of the palace in one of the towers, hoping and praying to Arceus that the medical pokémon could perform a miracle. Alice, Mirage and Manaphy had all gone in with them, but Connor had decided to go to the other tower to 'meditate'.

Roy felt absolutely awful to see anyone like that… He wasn't able to fix Vulcan's arm… It was ridiculous that he'd get mad at himself for that; There's nothing he could do. But what if there was? If he'd just… stayed with them beforehand, or if he'd seen the Krookodile coming sooner…

"Hey, stop beating yourself up, kid." Skuntank said. "There's nothing you coulda done."

"How do you know?" Roy grunted. "I could've acted sooner… I could've-"

"Coulda, woulda, shoulda." Skuntank said with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders. "You can't change the past, Roy. Trust me, I've tried. Not a day goes by that I wish I would've said no to leading Vulcan into that ambush."

"Then why didn't you say no?"

"Back then, I wanted to see you guys get put into place more than just about anything else. But I thought they'd just rough Connor and Vulcan up a little bit. Not go and turn your team into an example by killing you all. And I've come to realize that… as long as we've hated each other... Connor, Vulcan and us… We're practically family."

Roy nearly let out a short burst of laughter before Skuntank shook his head vigorously. "Not like that." He scoffed and muttered to himself. "Man, I'm not good at talking like this…" Then he looked at Roy with an almost _caring_ look. "I mean, without them, we're nothing. Rivals are there to make you angry when you're never as good as them… And I'm sick of being your team's laughingstock, honestly. I'm sure you've heard stories about how weak we were."

"Mm-hmm..."

Skuntank humphed softly before continuing. "Chaw-haw-haw… But without Connor and Vulcan… Our life has been empty. Sure, we can always pick on other teams, but you guys… You were our rivals. It hurts me to see another group doing this to your team."

"And I take it Crobat and Weezing share your concerns?" Roy glanced at the other two poison-types, and they just nodded silently.

"We wouldn't be here if we didn't all agree," Skuntank said. "And to make things worse, Connor doesn't remember a darned thing. That's almost worse than him being completely out of the picture."

"Yeah…" Roy looked to the ground, then glanced out of the window towards the horizon. "But there's still hope… Somewhere. I just don't know where it is."

"What about your Insurgo friends? Where are they?" Skuntank asked.

"Um…" Roy placed his phantom cloak on his chin quizzically. "That's a good question."

He sat on the ground as the sunlight reflected off of the polished stone floor, illuminating the entire chamber with a golden luster that he absorbed into his skin with a satisfied sigh. "I have no way to find them, though…"

"Eh. We'll figure it out," Skuntank said. "I just got a feeling."

"A feeling?" Roy asked. "How so?"

"I mean… You got a whole bunch of pokémon helping you out that you never even knew existed. The King of the Northern Desert, for one. His army's fighting for you, and if they're all as tough as that Garchomp, then the Mafia's as good as gone."

"And your team," Roy added.

"Yeah, we're helping, too…" he scowled and looked away from Roy, and the ghost narrowed his eyes. "Skuntank… you're helping… right?"

"Of course! What does it look like I've been doing?" he shook his head lightly, and his eyes seemed to clear up. "You think I've just been sitting on my paws, waiting for all of this to pan out?"

"No, It's just… Odd, that's all…" Roy wanted to dismiss the strange attitude change he'd just experienced, but it was too abnormal. He needed to check further. "Skuntank… I need to be sure you didn't lead the Mafia here. Do you mind if I make sure?"

The leader of Team Skull rolled his eyes, but nodded in agreement. "Whatever. I thought we were past this."

Roy's eyes glowed as he extracted the information from Skuntank's mind. Memories of a Krookodile appearing in the tower, then it using fire fang to blow up the structure after igniting the poison gas.

"The tower blowing up… The Krookodile didn't use explosion… Why did you lie?" he asked.

Skuntank scoffed and looked at him with poorly-masked anger. "What, was I supposed to be like, 'Oh, my bad! Your friend's dead because I didn't think the Krookodile would commit suicide!'?"

"No, no… That's a good reason," Roy droned as the memories played in his head. Skuntank seeking out Vulcan, then being attacked in the forest, and… he blinked rapidly, making sure he saw the fleeing pokémon right. He reversed the image after it disappeared and tried to float closer, but since this wasn't his memory, he wasn't able to manipulate it as well. It was like he could observe the memory in three dimensions, but he couldn't move. He barely saw the outline of the pokémon before it vanished in a flash of light. _Flash of light… A psychic?_

Then Dawn strode out from around the corner of the hallway, catching him completely off guard. "Roy!"

He was too shocked to reply. After last night, he had no idea whether or not he'd see her again. "Uh…"

"Where were you? I've been looking for you for hours!"

"Apparently I was gone for a few hours in a pocket dimension or something," he said. "Why? The last thing I recall, you ran away into Treeshroud Forest."

"Yeah… I'm sorry, Roy… It's just… I was too shocked. I had no idea that you'd-" she flinched when Skuntank moved, and the Poison-type chuckled. "Chaw-haw-haw… This your girlfriend, Roy?"

"Wha-?! No! I mean… right? No?" he glanced at Dawn, and she shrugged dismissively. "It's complicated. Who are you?"

"Team Skull." then he glanced at Roy with a smirk. "Alright, we'll leave you two lovebirds alone." the poison-type pushed open one of the double wooden doors that led to the infirmary, leaving Roy alone with the six-foot tall Gallade. An astonishing transformation from the Ralts that used to be half his size.

"So… Why are you here?"

"I wanted to apologize… for everything." she said. She wiped a tear from her eye, and Roy embraced her by draping his cloak-like arms across her shoulders. "It's alright, Dawn… You're alright."

She wiped her nose with her forearm and cried into his shoulder. "I just… I can't believe you're _him_ …"

"I should have told you sooner," he admitted. "But I'm glad I did."

"Roy… I want to take you somewhere…" she murmured. "It's important."

"Alright…? Where did you have in mind?"

"It's a surprise. Just... meet me in Mystifying Forest."

"Alright. I'll see you in a little bit."

 **-Vincent-**

"Okay… One more time, please..." he said. "We're _where_?" he asked, making sure to pay perfect attention to the heavyset ghost-type.

"You and your team are in the conscious layer of the Distortion World, where the spirits of the deceased are for the first few minutes after death," Dusknoir explained once more. "And I am using the full extent of my power to conceal your presence from the other Dusknoirs."

"I figured that much," Magnus said. "But how the hell do we get out of here?"

Vincent gasped as Dusknoir's stomach-mouth opened, and three pokémon tumbled out of the infinite darkness and onto the ground inside of the wooden structure. Two Froslass and a Meganium.

"Caroline?! Jade?!"

Both of the nearly identical Froslass sat up, and the one on the right stared at them for a moment before covering her mouth. "Vincent…" she looked behind him and sobbed. "All of you… You're all here..."

Caroline sat up slowly and rubbed her head with vine whips. "What the… Where are we?"

"Unfortunately, you are in the Distortion World," Dusknoir said, clearly irritated at having to explain it more than three times. "But I am able to keep you here, in the conscious layer. This is where you will be until Roy finds you and brings you back to the realm of the living."

"Whoa… So much random stuff thrown in at once. Roy's gonna revive all of us?" Vincent asked.

"Yes."

"How? Noc, Rose and Magnus have been here for Arceus knows how long!"

"It is not my place to explain," he said with hesitation. "I am testing Giratina's patience by simply allowing you to remain here."

Jade floated through them wordlessly, tears rolling down her face as she moved closer to Nocturne. "...It's you."

"Yeah… Did you get my note?" the Cacturne asked with a sheepish smile.

Jade just smiled and kissed him. Rose and Caroline grinned, while Magnus just rolled his eyes. "For f***'s sake…"

Jade didn't even respond to Magnus' disapproval. She just stared into the phantom Cacturne's eyes with so much love that a small smile appeared even on Dusknoir.

Then she turned back to the other Froslass with a hint of embarrassment. "Oh, um… Everyone… This is my mother. Mom, this is most of my team."

"Hello, everyone." the second Froslass waved sheepishly while Dusknoir observed them all in silence. Vincent frowned and crossed his arms. This didn't feel natural. It was more like they were in an alternate dimension. Not dead.

Vincent looked around and took a head count. "Atlas, me, Rose, Magnus, Nocturne, Caroline and Jade…" he furrowed his brows and tilted his head, slightly perplexed. "Connor and Vulcan are still alive… And well, I hope?" he looked at Dusknoir, who raised his hands innocently. "I do not know… I am not made aware of their whereabouts."

"Of course," Magnus scoffed. "Because that'd be too convenient, right?"

"Correct." Dusknoir half-smiled and began floating backwards. "Stay safe, and stay alert." Then he phased into shadows. Magnus scowled and pushed Jade and Nocturne apart with two vine whips. "Alright you lovebirds, save the romance for when we're back in our world."

Jade extended her hand towards him with a furious glare, but lightly gasped when nothing happened. Magnus smirked and walked past them. "Most of our powers don't work here, princess. Welcome to the Distortion World."

She took a deep breath and looked around the hut briefly, then glared at Magnus behind his back. "Thanks, Magnus. You're making me feel _really_ welcome."

"No problem," he said without looking back. "You're the last one here, so how long's it been since Rose, Noc and I got sent down here?"

"...About a month."

"Great." Magnus folded his wings across his back and laid down with an exaggerated sigh. "We've only been down here for _one_ f***in' month… This sucks. A lot."

"You're telling me," Rose murmured. "Magnus, you didn't even miss anyone from the team that badly. We had others that we missed. Even Atlas still misses Alice!"

"Don't talk about her. Not right now." Atlas clenched his fists angrily, and Vincent moved between them all. "Can we get along for now, please! I don't know what's going on, or why we're all here and sort of alive… But it's for a reason. I seriously doubt that it's luck at this point."

"Say, Jade… Who killed you, anyways? You're one of the most powerful members of the team!" Atlas asked. "Sorry, that sounds really weird, because I'm talking to you right now… Uh…" he rubbed the back of his head and pouted, marking his discomfort.

"A Kirlia," she replied after an elongated silence. "Her psychic energy was so immense… We didn't even stand a chance."

"A Kirlia beat you and your mother at the same time?" Atlas wondered aloud. "That's impressive."

"We were cornered by four fire-types and two steel-types," she added. "It's not that impressive."

"Oh."

"Actually…" Caroline spoke up, and everyone turned to her. "A Kirlia killed me, too."

"Really? You were both brought here at the same time," Nocturne speculated. "So either they have two Kirlias that are really strong… or the same pokémon killed both of you within minutes of each other."

"But how? I was on Blizzard Island," Jade said.

"And I was near the Mafia's base where Vulcan was hypnotized," Caroline added. "Opposite sides of the continent."

"Do either of you remember anything about what the Kirlia did? Anything that could help us beat it when we get out of here?" Nocturne asked.

Caroline looked into the middle distance as she seemed to recall something. "She said… You'll never understand. And… She knew my name… Caroline." she looked to the ground, and Jade spoke up. "The Kirlia said the same thing to me… She said that she was sorry."

"Sorry for killing you? That seems contradictory," Atlas said with crossed arms.

"It didn't make sense at the time… Even now, it seems unlikely… But I think that that Kirlia knows us. And I think I know who it is."

"Really? Who?" Atlas, Nocturne and Vincent all asked at once, and she looked between them quickly before nodding to herself, as if she were confirming it in her head. "I think it's Dawn."

"Hahaha… No." Vincent shook his head and forced a light chuckle. "First off, Dawn helped us kick Mordred's butt when Roy and Dusknoir got kidnapped. Second, why wait this long? And third, if she _is_ working for the Mafia, then why the heck go through all the trouble of sending Connor and Mirage after Alice, Tyranitar and Roy when they scouted out that mountain base? And why teleport them back? Why not let them die in the mountain and say that she ran out of psychic energy? That would've saved her a lot of trouble."

"Who the f*** is Dawn?" Magnus asked from the corner.

"She's a Ralts that joined the team a few days after you guys died," Vincent clarified. Even now, saying a sentence in that order left a weird taste in his mouth.

"Oh, _that's so_ helpful," he grunted.

Vincent smirked and sat on the wooden floor. "Yeah; But there's no way she's a mafia spy… Oh, wait… That sounds believable. Spies are trained to make them trust you..."

"But it just doesn't sound right… Roy was the one who brought her to us. She didn't seek us out," Atlas murmured. "And she saved my life from Team Virus at one point."

"Spies do that. Gain your trust by 'defeating' the people they're really working for." Vincent said. "But Jade, you do know that this is all too sudden for us to jump to conclusions, right?"

"All evidence points to her, Vincent. I will trust my intuition."

"Whatever. We'll figure it out when we get back," he replied with a dismissive wave. "Uh… whenever that is."

 **-Victor-**

He casually walked through his main base of operations, taking in the star and moon-lit sky with a small smile. He needed to get out more often. Several of his underlings veered away, which he liked. He just wanted to be alone for the time being. _Rogue is gone._ He wistfully thought to himself. _One of my oldest friends… killed at the hands of my enemies._

He paused and narrowed his eyes when a Sandslash strode up to him at a moderately brisk pace. "Are you Victor?"

"Who wants to know?"

"My king wishes to extend one final warning to you and your group."

"King?" Victor readied an air slash, but the Sandslash shook his head slowly. "I am not here to fight. I am here in my King's stead."

"What king?" Victor asked, still holding his attack at the ready in case this ground-type tried anything.

"The king of the Northern Desert," the Sandslash informed him. "The Ariados you sent to assassinate the Queen succeeded, which means war is coming. Unless you surrender at the congregation in two days' time. All details are explained within the contents of this scroll."

"There's a… there's a monarchy in the Northern Desert?" Victor asked, completely shocked. He'd never heard of anything like that before!

"Yes. Here is a scroll with a letter signed by the king. An official continental seal holds it closed, proving that this document is not forged, and is legitimate." the Sandslash pulled a scroll out of its bag, and Victor tucked it beneath his wing, still too shocked to attack this pokémon for intruding. "What… How did you get here?"

"I am a messenger. There is nowhere I cannot go." the Sandslash said with a smirk.

Victor growled and glared at the Sandslash. "Tell your… king that I will heavily consider his offer."

"A wise decision. I will be back tomorrow to finalize the agreement."

He nodded and observed the exterior of the scroll very closely. This document was legitimate; Only high-ranking officials had access to this kind of stamp. But a kingdom in the desert? He'd been around for a while, and explored almost all of Immanis, including the desert. He had trouble believing a whole kingdom had escaped his notice for that long. And better yet, how did Zorro, Widow and Flatline know about it?

He held the scroll in his beak and flew back to his sleeping quarters, deciding to read it from within the safety of his room. Once he got settled, he unrolled the scroll and lit the lamp hanging from his ceiling. The letter was written in an ancient dialect - probably asmortic- so he could only make out bits and pieces of the text. " _To Victor, the leader of the Pokémon Mafia…_ " he tried to make sense of the strange, seemingly patternless runes lining the page, but shook his head and did his best to decipher it. " _Ariados… is held captive after she killed the queen. She was sent by…_ " Victor growled and stood up, looking away from the paper. "That _fool_! She... Gah!" he paced back and forth for several minutes before turning back to the scroll. "Stupid… This changes everything…" his anger built as he continued reading.

From what he understood in the text, Flatline and Zorro were dead, Widow was being held hostage after she killed the queen of a kingdom he never knew existed, so now he's at war with a kingdom he knows nothing about, unless he attends a congregation tomorrow on the battlefield _in the desert_ and agrees to surrender. There was a bunch of words in between that he couldn't understand, but he got the general idea. "Fantastic…"

"What's going on, Victor?" a female Gallade teleported beside him and moved closer to the low-sitting desk, looking over the scroll with piqued curiosity. "A note?"

"Yes. There is an unforeseen… complication. I need you to finish our agreement tonight."

The Gallade sighed, but nodded and looked over the note. "...War? Victor, this is-"

"I know what it is," Victor snarled at her. "I need Team Firestorm out of the picture. See to it that it gets done. I don't want another 'slip-up' like what happened with Team Hope. You've been unusually silent these past few days. And if it's because Roy restored your vision, I understand your hesitation. But it was his choice. His fate is the same either way."

The Gallade looked at the ground with a sorrowful frown, and Victor's beak turned slightly upwards. "But you know that your end of the bargain isn't finished until they're all gone. I don't care what they've done for you; See to it that they are destroyed."

"...Yes, sir." the Gallade wiped a tear from her eye, and he turned away from her.

* * *

 **Holy smokes, I didn't even realize this is like the third-to-last chapter. Or second-to-last. Uh... This is awkward. I hope you guys have enjoyed it so far! I hope I haven't been too cliché (Even though I probably have been), and if you did enjoy this chapter, or this story, go ahead and leave any questions, comments, concerns or theories in the form of a review or PM! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	31. Last Man Standing

**-Chapter XXXI: Last Man Standing-**

 **-Amber-**

"This is ridiculous…" Galvantula muttered. "How did we lose them so badly? I thought we knew where they were!"

"I don't know, Galvantula! They all just… vanished!" she clenched her fists and punched one of the trees in frustration. "I've never felt this helpless!"

"Perhaps they were rescued by Mirage? After all, she is destined to become the Queen of the Northern Desert." Briar speculated. "We haven't explored that area of Immanis yet."

"That's true. We should move as quickly as possible. I don't want to let Connor…" her voice lost its power when she saw the human leaning against one of the trees in the forest they were travelling through, in his regular blue pants and green shirt. His short brown hair was a bit longer than she remembered, but she stopped in her tracks as the human strode forward. "Amber."

"...Connor?" she said with a hint of surprise. "How…"

"Yeah, I thought you'd like to explain that," he said with a scowl. "Why don't I remember this… this Team? Team Firestorm? And why can't I use my powers?"

Amber gasped, and Briar's eyes widened. Connor looked over all of them and tilted his head. "Arceus, there's a lot of you… And who are you two?" he looked at the Weavile twins, and they just waved dismissively. "We're with them."

"How did you get here if your powers aren't working?" Galvantula interjected.

"I walked," the human replied simply before looking to Amber. "Amber, I need you to fix this."

"Connor…"

"I don't care what I said when I was a Swampert! I need my powers, otherwise this team is going to die!"

"Connor… I can't."

The rest of the Insurgo looked at her incredulously, and with a wistful sigh, she transformed into a human. Her wings and tail shrunk and retracted into her body, her arms elongated and her claws shrunk and split into five tan fingers. Her dark brown hair elongated and fell across her shoulders as she walked forward and grabbed his hands. "I know… I know that you don't understand. You don't remember anything from your time here."

"What does that have to do with restoring my powers?"

"I cannot… Dialga has told me that this is not your fight."

Connor shook his head and stepped backwards while pulling his hands free from hers. "Not my fight?! What am I supposed to do, _not_ help them? Apparently the Temporal Crisis is already fixed, and I'm this team's leader! I protected the Insurgo when they needed me, and I have to protect this team! Dialga will understand!"

"Connor, he knows better than any of us what must happen," Grovyle spoke up, and Connor just shook his head. "Grovyle, how are we here? We should have disappeared when the future was changed!"

"Even now, I don't understand…" Grovyle murmured. "Dialga said that a higher power has restored our branch of reality."

"You mean Arceus," Connor stated. "That is literally the only higher power than Dialga."

"Y-yes... Connor, why are you acting like this?" Grovyle questioned.

"Because I need answers! Three years of my memories are gone, I can't use my powers to help them, and without them, I'm just a stupid, weak human!"

Amber wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a warm embrace. Connor tensed up at first, but she felt him relax as she gently whispered to him, "Connor… You are not weak. You are the most powerful mortal being I have ever had the honor of meeting."

She continued embracing him while he stood there awkwardly. "Uh… Thanks? But that's if I have my powers. I can't do anything now! I can't break stone, I don't have super strength, I can't fly-"

She rolled her eyes and kissed him mid-sentence, pouring her heart into that one passionate moment. She felt some of her power leave her body and transfer into him as he slowly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. She only broke the kiss when Basileus cleared his throat dramatically.

She smiled and caught her breath, looking into Connor's dark brown eyes. There were flakes of green around the edges. She hadn't noticed that before. Then he grinned as they touched their foreheads together, staring into each others' eyes. "What was that for?"

"You wouldn't shut up," she murmured with a loving smile.

"So you kiss me?" he replied with a silvery laugh. "That makes sense."

"Muuttaa."

"What? Transform?" he asked. Then he gasped as his body was enveloped in a light blue ball of aura energy. When it faded, he was a fully grown Swampert once again. He looked at his hands, and a grin grew across his face as he stretched his arms and flexed his fingers. "Okay... This is different."

She blushed and transformed back into a shiny Charizard after getting a few disapproving looks from the rest of the Insurgo.

 _Amber, you know that Dialga would not approve of your relations with Connor._ Basileus' voice broke into her thoughts, and she winced as she looked at the rest of them. _I know. But I can't help but feel that his importance does not end with the Mafia's defeat. And… there is something further. Something that I must do once this team is saved._

 **-Roy-**

"Dawn, this is…" his voice broke as he observed the barren cliffside of the plateau that rose a hundred feet straight up. He'd been floating through the forest for almost twenty minutes before she found him. "This is where I..."

"I know… I didn't think I'd ever come back here… But it just feels right, now that I'm with you."

"But why? I don't want to remember. I want to forget. I want to forget all of the pokémon I hurt… How I hurt you for so long… I don't want to be reminded of my failures." Dawn grunted softly as she pushed in a section of stone on the cliffside. A circular pattern about seven feet tall glowed with a golden brilliance, and the stone inside of the rune vanished, revealing a circular hall leading to a hollowed out chamber inside the plateau. He saw a single skylight shining down in the center of the room as he floated forward, bathing the chamber in the silver glow of the moonlight.

He looked up at the unevenly shattered roof, with vines and moss growing down the walls and floor. His eyes welled up with tears as he observed every part of his old home. "It's so peaceful…" He internally winced as he recalled how the skylight was formed. The collapsed pile of rubble was still in the same position as he remembered. A little bit to the right of the main entrance. Then he saw a clump of vines and shrubbery move to his left. It was so subtle that he almost dismissed it as the wind. But then it moved again. Dawn didn't seem to notice, which was strange. But he floated towards the dense overgrowth and gently pulled it apart with psychic. His eyes shot open as he looked at his own face. "Castiel…" the Kirlia's eyes were closed, and his arms were folded neatly across his chest.

He was obviously dead, but he looked… almost alive. Like he'd been preserved beneath this overgrowth almost perfectly. He felt a strange, chilling sensation settle across his skin when he looked at his old body. It was so strange… He felt as though it was calling to him.

"Uh…" he almost called for Dawn, but every part of his being said not to, out of nowhere. Everything in him said to get out of there as fast as possible. The walls seemed to scream, ' _Danger! Run, Roy!'_

He was about to phase into the wall, when Dawn glanced at him nervously. "What's wrong, Roy?"

"Nothing. I, uh… I just don't feel too well. I need some fresh air."

"Then I'll walk out with you," she said with a smile.

"Okay…" he floated alongside her as they left the cave, and she suddenly fell to one knee with an agonizing shout. "AGH!"

"Dawn? Dawn!" Roy cried out as she grabbed the sides of her head and forced her eyes to shut. "Roy… Please, go!"

He opened his spellbook and sifted through the pages for an incantation of healing. "But-"

"GO!"

"No! I won't leave you again!" he found one of the healing spells and said the single word. "Korjata!"

Dawn's arms and facial features relaxed, and she opened her eyes, looking directly at him. "Roy…"

"Dawn, what happened? What was that?"

"I… don't know." she said. Then her vision flitted back and forth, as though she were contemplating something else entirely. She looked around the forest, as if the trees themselves were watching her. "Roy… If you knew something about me… Something that happened… no matter how bad it was, you'd still be my friend, right?"

"Of course," he said. Everything in him wanted to run, to shadow travel all the way across the continent... But he stayed.

"I mean, if you're really my friend, I can tell you anything… And you'll still like me."

He did his best to smile, not letting his discomfort show. "Please, nothing you'd do could be that bad."

She pulled him into a hug, and he smiled. "Okay, that's enough hugging. It's not like you…" His words faltered as he looked over her shoulder, and Mordred was leaning against the nearest tree, staring at them with yellow eyes that shone like two spotlights. "Hello, Dawn."

Roy immediately floated backwards, but Mordred dashed forward and threw him to the ground with a swing of his fist. Roy started to get up, but Mordred used thunder wave, his eyes sparking with electricity and paralyzing his entire body. Mordred turned back to Dawn with a slightly concerned expression. "I have plans for you… What, did you think you could run off and evolve with your _boyfriend_ and everything would be happily ever after?"

The paralysis wore off, and Roy immediately flew towards Mordred. "Leave her ALONE!" He used magical leaf, and while Mordred blocked them with crossed arms, he vanished into the shadow realm and reappeared behind him and used Giga Impact. Mordred flew forward, but somersaulted out of it and landed on his feet.

"Dawn, run!" Roy ordered. "Get help!" He growled as the aftershock of using Giga Impact took effect.

"Stay where you are." Mordred commanded. His skin shimmered in the silver light of the moon that trickled through the canopy.  
"What do you want with her? What, just because she's an alpha, you think she's yours or something? She has nothing to do with this!"

"You mean she didn't tell you?" he chuckled and used dark pulse, blasting Roy back with a wave of pure malevolent thoughts while he sat there helplessly. They ate at his spirit, dissolving it bit by bit. _You're not good enough…_

 _You're creepy._

 _What a weirdo._

 _He's still here?_

 _Is he really necessary?_

 _Castiel… I love you._

Roy forced the thoughts out of his head and flew forward again. "I won't let you hurt her!"

Mordred smirked and grappled Roy, holding his body with two shadow-infused blades pressed against his throat and stomach. "You think you know her? You don't know anything. She never really liked you."

Roy willed the shadows of the forest to condense into a giant fist, pounding Mordred into the ground repeatedly. His eyes began glowing as he willed the shadowy hand to drag Mordred down, forcing him to the ground while he phased through the Bisharp's arms. "I know her better than anyone else! What do you know about her, huh?"

Mordred tried to use dark pulse again, but Roy grabbed Mordred's throat with a shadow claw and clamped down. "Don't you dare…"

Mordred growled and fell to his knees.

"Roy, let's get out of here!" Dawn pled as she extended her hand towards him. "I can teleport us away!"

He glanced at her in disbelief. "Are you joking? I have him right…" When he turned back to Mordred, he was gone. "Here?"

Mordred stepped out from behind a tree several meters away. "Tch. You're getting careless, Roy… Nocturne made the same mistake."

Roy flew forward with a fearsome shout, melting into shadows and dragging Mordred around by his shadow in the moonlight, ripping him through trees, throwing him thirty feet into the air and slamming him into the ground hard enough to make a shallow crater. When he rematerialized, Mordred stood up with barely a scratch on him and rolled his shoulders with smirk. "That was fun… Now it's my turn."

The Steel-type sprinted forward, but was stopped mid-stride, as if time had been frozen. Dawn held her hand out towards Mordred, then glared at Roy. "Run, Roy!"

He grabbed her with a shadowy hand extended from his skin and melted into shadows. He silently thanked Valerie for teaching him how to shadow-travel vast distances with a psychic type in tow. Suddenly an indigo electric current appeared in front of him and threw him out of the shadow dimension alongside Dawn. She crashed to the ground and stood up, looking around with fear in her eyes.

Roy looked around at the seemingly different forest, but no hostile pokémon seemed to be around. Not even normal wild pokémon. He reached out with psychic, trying to get ahold of Manaphy or Alice, but something was blocking his communication. When he got close to the ground, he was zapped with indigo electricity. He even tried using his badge to warp back to his team, but it just blinked red three times and didn't do anything.

"Dawn, I need you to teleport us back! I think they're in trouble!"

"Roy… I'm not going back…" She looked to the ground and wouldn't meet his eyes.

He floated backwards slightly. "What…? Why not?"

"Because she's not your friend." Mordred emerged from the shadows to the right. "She's my accomplice."

Roy glared at him, then turned back to Dawn. But she was gone. "...Dawn?"

The glow across the forest dimmed down as clouds began rolling in, covering the moon overhead and enshrouding the forest in pitch-black darkness. Roy could only see the flickering shadows of the trees cast by the will-o-wisps floating around him. "The girl you knew was an illusion, Roy. In your mind, she was your friend… In reality, she is working with me."

"That's a lie!" He rushed forward again, but suddenly Mordred was in ten places at once, courtesy of double team. "I found her..."

Roy used mystical fire on one of the illusory clones, but it passed harmlessly through it. "I promised her everything that she wanted…"

He pelted three more clones with power gem. "And then I sent her to destroy your team…"

Roy rapidly fired homing shadow balls in all directions, hitting all of the visible duplicates. "From the inside out."

Roy glared at the clones that stood in a circle around him. "Dawn would never do that! We've been through so much! She's experienced all of our memories!"

"Hmph… Let me ask you something, then… How do you think we found you so quickly after you travelled halfway across the continent? Do you think it was luck that our most powerful members found all of your bases within two days? And how do you explain Atlas removing his power belt to save her? All Machamp know that their body will tear itself apart without it. Also, when you were so kind as to bring us Alice… Dawn warned the Assassins of Tyranitar's arrival. She's been doing well at reacting without arousing suspicion… Of course, we underestimated her resourcefulness, but it all worked out for us in the end. Her orders were to attack when the time was right. But I guess she wanted to spare you, due to your previous relationship. In spite of that, she was kind enough to finish off the rest of your team while you were waiting for her."

"LIAR!" He opened his mouth wide, about to use perish song to finish this once and for all, when Dawn's voice stopped him. "Roy… It's true."

"...What?"

 **-3rd Person-**

 ***Twenty Minutes Before***

Mirage, Alice, Manaphy and Team Skull sat towards the edge of the Infirmary as the healers did their work. An Audino and Blissey were working together, each one using a variety of methods, ranging from heal pulses to feeding him egg-looking items.

His breathing was heavy and uneven, which was not good news. They'd been at this for fifteen minutes now. The two nurses paused briefly when they heard a knocking sound on the door.

"Alice, could you get that, please?" the Blissey asked as they continued working on Vulcan's arm.

"Sure." Alice stood up and strode over to the door. She pushed it open, and a mega-evolved Gallade was standing at the entrance, towering over her.

Alice's eyes widened as the massive psychic-type stepped forward and glanced around the room. "Where's Connor?"

"Who are you?" Alice questioned.

The Gallade wiped a tear from its eye and turned towards the two nurses. "You two… You don't need to be here."

Its eyes flashed white, and the two pokémon nodded without hesitation and walked right out of the back entrance. Vulcan's eyes were still closed, and Skuntank, Crobat and Weezing all tensed up.

"Dawn, right?" Skuntank asked. "Hmph. I figured as much."

Mirage stood up and glared at the psychic-type. "What are you doing?! Vulcan needs medical attention!"

"No... he doesn't," the Gallade forced those words with audible hesitation.

Then, without warning, it launched a psycho-cut directly at Mirage. She flew to the side, narrowly avoiding the psychic blade that carved a perfect line into the wall, but hesitated in attacking as the Gallade slashed at Alice with its elbow normal-type leapt backwards and was enveloped in a purple sphere as well, which promptly shattered around her, and she dashed forward with a newfound speed and agility.

The Gallade stepped backwards as she used mega punch on its chest, then was sprayed with a poisonous fluid from Skuntank and Weezing. The psychic-type stumbled backwards, wiping her face with her forearms, and Alice went to use low-sweep to knock it on its back, but it vanished in a flash of light, then re-appeared directly behind her. She gasped weakly as the Gallade impaled her with its elbow blade from behind her, then threw her to the side with no hesitation. Mirage, Manaphy and Team Skull all watched in horror as Alice rolled across the ground and de-evolved, bleeding out helplessly.

The Gallade teared up as Mirage bellowed a flamethrower, but the mega-evolved pokémon condensed the flames with psychic and blasted the fire directly back at her. She crossed her arms and used protect, completely dissipating the fireball, and flew forward with a fearsome shout. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US?!"

"I'm sorry, Mirage…" the Gallade murmured as the Flygon used mega punch, knocking Dawn back several feet. Then the psychic-type's eyes flashed blue, and Mirage collapsed to the ground without warning. The Gallade shuddered and looked at Skuntank with a pleading look in her eye. "Team Skull… Please don't interfere."

"You kind of forced our hand when you came in here, Dawn," Skuntank said. "Does Roy know about this?"

"You can't tell him!" she cried. "I didn't want to do this! I have to!"

"'Have to'? Dawn, there's always a choice."

"No… Not for me."

Weezing and Crobat floated on both sides of the chief, and Skuntank narrowed his eyes. "You're the one that attacked us in the forest."

"Yes…"

"You were after Vulcan, weren't you?" Skuntank asked. "Why?"

"Because I made a promise."

"Promises are meant to be broken, sweetheart," Skuntank growled. "Especially promises made by backstabbing pokémon like the Mafia."

"Not binding oaths," the Gallade murmured. "Skuntank, you three can live. I have to kill them. Please, stay out of this."

"Well, tough luck," Skuntank said while looking back and forth between Weezing and Crobat, who both looked scared for their lives, but stayed by his side. "We can't let you do that."

"Please… For your own sake, don't interfere!" Dawn pleaded. "They'll need all the help they can get!"

"Help?! You're going to kill them!"

"But Roy… he can bring them all back!" she quickly put in. "And when he does that… They'll need you!"

"Roy… he can bring them back?" Skuntank asked before shaking his head and growling. "No! I'm not buying it! You want them? You'll have to go through us!"

"Skuntank… Please." tears lined the female Gallade's eyes, making Skuntank falter. That wasn't fake. He felt his tough exterior crumble as the silver tears fell to the floor, and Dawn de-evolved into a normal Gallade and fell to her knees. Then she looked directly into his eyes. "Here's my truth... I swear to Arceus… That once my binding oath is finished, I will destroy the Mafia."

Skuntank looked at Alice, who was lying motionless on the ground, and Vulcan, who was still unconscious, and Mirage. The only one that wasn't around was Manaphy. Where did that little tyke go?

Dawn wept and began pleading with him. "Skuntank, when I do this… The kingdom will go to war with the Mafia. That will destroy them. Then we can revive Team Firestorm with them out of the picture."

Skuntank grimaced and looked at Mirage and Vulcan, both helpless and at this Gallade's mercy. Six months ago, he would have gladly let her do this. Good riddance. But... he couldn't find the will to back down. They were so helpless… And who's to say she was telling the truth? But she made a binding oath… To destroy the Mafia. That meant a lot.

"Chief… What do we do?" Crobat asked.

"I don't know! Give me a second!" he hissed.

Weezing floated beside him nervously. "Chief, we can't keep this standoff much longer!"

Skuntank had half a mind to spray her with the noxious gas combo, but something told him that she could take it. "Alright… Dawn… Do what you have to. We'll help them once they get revived."

Dawn nodded and hesitantly moved over to Vulcan. She loomed over his unconscious body, and Skuntank teared up and looked away as she finished the job.

 _I'm never gonna forgive myself for this._ The poison-type glanced at Crobat and Weezing, who were both in just as much anguish as he was. Crobat was crying, and Weezing blinked back tears as well.

Skuntank looked to the ground, not even able to meet his teammates eyes. "Connor... Vulcan... I'm sorry."

 **-Roy-**

He turned to see Dawn standing next to mordred, tears falling down her face. He floated backwards with disbelief. "Dawn…? H-how could you...?"

Mordred spoke for her. "Because I gave her what she wanted. What did you ever do for her?"

"I restored the vision that she lost, for one thing! I poured a portion of my soul into her to do that!" He flew forward again, but Mordred was ready, apparently. He threw Roy to the side and stabbed him with a poison jab. He shouted in pain and fell to the ground. He felt his power weakening by the second as the poison spread across his spectral skin. Dawn's eyes began glowing red as she grabbed Mordred's shoulder. "I won't let you hurt him. He's still my friend."

"Haven't you figured it out?" Mordred pushed her back forcefully. "You don't have any friends. Not after this."

Roy suddenly found a new surge of power. His memories became cleared, and he floated upright while chanting an incantation of healing. "Myrkky kovettunut, takaisin voimani!"

Mordred prepared another dark pulse, and instead of dodging or teleporting away, Roy took the attack and let it envelop him. Then he used psychic to tear off the gems on his robe. He screamed in pain as Mordred pressed harder, and the terror of malevolence overcame Roy. All of his negative thoughts turned into his deepest, darkest fears. He was scared… for the first time in his life. But not scared of death. He was scared of losing his new family… his friends. He was terrified, and the only thing he could think about was keeping them safe by any means necessary. Then his thoughts became more focused as he forced his gems back into his skin, stabbing his own chest with the glowing red stones. Instantly, all of the dark fears and thoughts were absorbed into the gems, and Roy used the last of his strength to envelop them with his own body.

The fear that was absorbed by the blood-red gems was transferred into his body, filling him to the limit with absolute power and energy. He cackled and phased through Mordred's chest, and when Mordred turned around, Roy willed the shadows in the forest to condense and grab Mordred's neck. He had half a mind to end this right now. And the other half said that killing was wrong, and that he shouldn't stoop down to that level.

But he wouldn't make the classic hero mistake.

He clamped down on Mordred's neck and raised him off of the ground as he croaked and gasped for breath. Roy glared at him and turned his shadowy hand in the blink of an eye. He heard a decisive crack, and Mordred fell to the ground.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dawn teleport away. He slammed the back of Mordred's lifeless head with another shadow punch, but just as the attack connected, the second clone vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Roy cursed under his breath and used psychic to chase after Dawn. It didn't take long. She stopped after two warps. When he found her, he floated forward slowly. She was collapsed on the ground, weeping. "Roy… I'm so sorry…"

"Then why did you let it happen?!" He glared at her whilst being surrounded by a pitch-black aura that emanated every emotion he had ever held inside of him. Joy, rage, sadness, fear, anger, shock, disgust, disbelief… and love. Even though he didn't know it until recently… He loved her, even though he thought he was incapable of it. Maybe it was the memories of Castiel giving him these feelings… But it didn't matter. It was all a lie.

She stood up and shook her head, tears still falling down her face. "I don't know! Mordred… He promised me that I would avenge you when Aaron...! I didn't think you'd be… Oh, Arceus..."

Roy found himself tearing up. "Dawn, I gave you a part of me! I restored the sight that you lost! And now, after all we've been through, and all I've shared with you… you're telling me that all this… that this was a game? Some sort of sick joke just to get into our team and help him?"

"Of course not… I didn't know that you were Castiel!"

"Who I was doesn't matter! I cared for you, Dawn! I truly did! Why would you throw that away?!"

She extended her hand towards him slowly while sobbing. "I didn't want it to happen like this, Roy… You know that..."

"And yet it did." Roy deadpanned. "You betrayed us, Dawn. It was all a lie… You used me. You manipulated me into giving you what you wanted."

She seemed to panic for a moment before looking at him with tears in her eyes. "Roy, listen to me… We can escape all this. No more dealing with the Mafia. What's keeping you with that team? They're dead anyways. We can live like we did before all of this. We'll be safe. Isn't that what you want?"

For a terrifying moment, he paused and considered it. He did want to live life without fear, like he used to before all of this mess. Then he thought of everything that he had been through with his new family, and anger began welling up inside of him. Then he felt a hypnotic effect fading that he hadn't realized was there. It was as if a blindfold had been lifted off of his mind. "So now you're trying to persuade me to abandon my family... because you got caught betraying them." His anger swelled further as the fear in her eyes became more prominent. "And you tried to hypnotize me to get what you want… Wow. I thought you were better than that."

"No! I didn't-! Roy, you promised… That you'd be my friend no matter what. Remember?"

Roy glared at her and shook his head rapidly. "I never promised anything." He teared up and looked into her eyes as he forced out the most painful words he had ever spoken: "You're no friend of mine." It hurt him more than anything he had ever done, but he said, "I… I revoke my blessing of sight." He opened his spellbook and spoke through the tears: "Olen peruuttaa siunaukseni näkyvistä."

Her mouth hung open as the blue phantom energy was drawn out of her. Her eyes dimmed and lost some of their luster, and she fell to her hands and knees, looking in his general direction as the portion of his spirit returned to him, healing his chest and filling him with a new burst of energy. "Roy, please! I didn't want it to happen like this! I didn't want you to get hurt! I love you, Roy! Please don't go!"

Roy shook his head and furrowed his brows, trying to block out her pleading. "Dawn… You loved Castiel. Not me. Because you betrayed me. You used me to get to them. And I was a fool to believe in you." He choked back a sob as he continued. "You've made your choice. Now you'll live with the consequences." He phased into the nearest tree's shadow, and once he was alone in the shadow realm, he wept.

* * *

 **Wow. Just... Wow. I'll be honest, I hated having to make this chapter. I feel so bad for them...**

 **This is the second to last chapter, by the way. I know it feels like it's just getting intense, but I have to end it somewhere. The last chapter will be posted this Friday, along with all the shoutouts to the people who submitted OCs into the Blazing Hearts Trilogy at the end. So stay tuned.**

 **As always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about what might happen, go ahead and leave them in the form of a Review or PM! It's always appreciated, especially now. :P Much Love!  
**

 **-PL**


	32. The Lost Spirit

**-Chapter XXXII: The Lost Spirit-**

 **-Amber-**

They stopped walking when Celebi fell to the ground. Grovyle and Amber rushed to her side, and she sat up shakily, clearly exhausted.

"Celebi! What's wrong?"

"I felt… sadness. Rage. Love…" tears softly rolled down her bright pink cheeks as she whimpered, "And so much pain… I've… I've never felt anything like it."

"Celebi, where did the energy come from?"

"...Halfway across the continent. In Mystifying forest."

"How did you sense anything that far away?" Grovyle wondered aloud.

"I was searching for Roy," she admitted. "If what Valerie and Dusknoir said is true, then he's the one we need to find."

Amber tensed up as a barrier of clouds washed over the sky, blocking the silver light of the moon and enshrouding them in darkness. Basileus and Briar both used flash, the two Sceptile glowing with a blinding light emanating from their skin, piercing the darkness that settled over them.

Then the wind began picking up, and the light radiating off of the two Sceptile was dimmed only for a second as the darkness condensed in the middle of the group. Tyranitar and Galvantula both positioned themselves ready to attack whoever emerged from the darkness, until a familiar purple hat materialized from the shadows.  
Amber sighed with relief as the Mismagius slowly rose from the shadow realm, but tilted her head when he barely looked up at them, not saying a word. Amber was about to say something, but Celebi quickly nudged her arm and shook her head.

 _It's him. That's what I felt. His emotion… Oh, Arceus…_ Celebi began crying, and Roy turned on her. But he didn't look angry. Just… broken. As if he were just a hollow shell of who he used to be. "...I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of my head, Celebi."

The insurgo all stared at him, and he looked around with an unwavering look of sadness etched into his spectral skin. His eyes were slightly downturned, his face was stained with shadowy tears, and his mouth was lacking his usual grin. What had happened to him? She felt the anguish and rage radiating off of his skin, drawing in the darkness around them in spite of himself. She could only imagine what he was feeling.

Roy sighed and opened a small book that he pulled from his cloak, completely ignoring all of the incredulous looks he was getting.

"You know…" Roy closed the book after a moment with psychic and let out a sad chuckle. "Do you ever feel like… your best just wasn't good enough? Like, no matter what you do, you're just bound to get hurt?"

When no-one replied, Roy just blinked back tears and chuckled some more. "That's how I feel. I'm sure Celebi knows by now."

Then Roy glanced at Connor and arched one eyebrow. "And you've regained your powers, I see… Do you remember anything else?"

"No," the Swampert muttered. "Nothing."

"Of course not," Roy growled. "Well, I guess I'll let you know now, since you won't really care all that much; They're all dead, Connor. You and me are all that's left."

The entire Insurgo tensed up and looked directly at him. Briar shook her head and moved closer to him. "Impossible… They were under the protection of the kingdom of the sands! No pokémon from the Mafia could enter undetected! And certainly not into the palace!"

"Not a Mafia pokémon…" Roy choked back a sob as he continued, looking to the ground. "One of our own. It was…" he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, obviously struggling to maintain his composure. "It was Dawn."

It took a moment to process what he'd said. But when it became clear, she looked to Celebi, who nodded while wiping the tears from her eyes. "It's true… She killed them all."

"W-Why?" Amber stammered.

"I don't know!" Roy sobbed. "I thought I could trust her… I _did_ trust her…"

"But… That doesn't make any sense…" Briar speculated. "She saved many of your teammates' lives on more than one occasion."

"But Mordred… he said that she led the Mafia members to us every time we moved. That's how they found us so fast." Roy growled. "And she said it was true. I shouldn't have _ever_ trusted her."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up," Tyranitar said. "We're still here, so you're not alone, Roy."

"But I am!" Roy shouted at them. "And you would never get that, because you're all immortal time-walkers! You've always had each other, and you always will! I am the last pokémon on my team! All of my friends are dead except Connor, who doesn't remember any of this!"

They were all silent in response, and Roy wept, his shadowy tears staining the ground pitch-black. "The kingdom is going to war _in two days_! And I don't know about you, but with Mirage dead, I don't see the congregation going well!"

"Then we will fight with them," Basileus interjected. "Show us the way to the palace."

"Sure. Whatever."

Amber sprawled out a wonder map, and Roy floated a will-o-wisp over the fireproof parchment. "It's… right here. I can't shadow-travel you all there, so you'll have to walk, or teleport through time or something," he droned. "I don't know. I'll meet you there. I'm gonna… I'll be a little while."

"...Very well." Amber said with a decisive nod. "Insurgo… Twins. Connor. We're going to the Kingdom of the Sands."

 **-Roy-**

When they vanished in a flash of green light, he phased into shadows. His pain… he had never felt anything like it before. His memories kept resurfacing… His talks with Valerie, about how she warned him repeatedly not to do this… And how he didn't listen. He was blinded by love. And now he finally understood what she had meant.

 _When you do this… And she doesn't live up to your expectations, your pain will be unspeakable. Whatever kind of sorrow you've felt in the past… It won't even compare to what will lie ahead._

"I'm sorry, Roy..." Valerie's voice pierced the shadow-realm, and when he rose out of the ground, he was in her cozy hut, marked by a low-hanging wooden roof and vines concealing the entrance.

"Why didn't you stop me?" he asked, looking around for the silver-skinned Delphox. "You knew this would happen!"

"It wasn't my place," Valerie phased through the wall of her hut without warning, causing Roy to flinch at her sudden appearance. "I wasn't going to say no, because I didn't think it would end up like this. I thought that she wouldn't go through with it. But she's been… very unpredictable."

"But why even take that chance?! Now I'm all that's left!" he cried.

"That might be true… But you're the only one that can change that. So that's good, sort of..." she paused, then let out skittish laugh. "Now that your soul is complete again, you can travel to the Distortion World and bring them back."

"But the Kingdom-"

Valerie cut him off by holding her wand over his mouth. "The kingdom can make due without you. The warriors there will destroy the Mafia," she concluded. "You need to bring them back."

"I don't know how, though! How do I open a portal to the Distortion World?" he questioned. His sorrow was masked by his newfound confusion and anger.

"Leave that to me," she said with a small smile. "Oh, and I'll handle Connor's memories after the war is over. I don't want him trying to live in the future because of _Amber_ or _Grovyle_. This world… the present time still needs him."

"Alright… So how are you going to open a portal to the Distortion World?"

Valerie twirled her wand nervously and shrugged. "Well… We have to find a Grand Reaper."

"And where can we find one of those?" Roy asked. "Dusknoir has been called back to the Distortion World, right?"

"Use that brain of yours, Roy!" Valerie shook her head and looked to the ground. "Grand Reapers are the embodiment of… well, reapers. They harvest souls. And guess where a bunch of souls are going to be tomorrow?"

Roy rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed that the answer was so simple. "They're gonna be at the battlefield."

"Correct!" she beamed. "That's gonna be a massacre on the Mafia's part, and I'm sure that Dusknoir can't wait to give them what they deserve! And he might even bring along another Grand Reaper with him to make it easier on him!"

"That... might actually work."

"I know it will," she said. "Because Dusknoir will be there tomorrow. And he'll do anything to help your team."

"But first… I want to try something," he murmured.

Valerie shook her head rapidly. "No. I know what you're thinking."

"Why not?"

"Because… Your host body won't have any power left. You gave it all to Dawn before you died."

"But what if I fill it with my own strength?"

"You're more powerful as a ghost," she said. "I know that for a fact. Becoming a Kirlia after waiting this long is a waste of time. You won't know how to use your strength."

Roy just smiled wistfully and looked into his teacher's eyes. "We've got time to spare, right? The congregation isn't for another two days."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes and pointed her wand at the wall. "I'll meet you there." she walked directly into the side of her hut and phased through the vine-covered barrier as if she were made of smoke.

He phased into shadows and took a moment to recuperate himself. His mind was fried at the moment; He was too stunned about what he'd experienced with Dawn. Everything changed when she said 'It's true'. In that one terrible moment, he'd gone from finally being able to love… to having to destroy the one he loved.

Then he manipulated the ground around him, condensing the world above and rematerializing in the same cave he was in twenty minutes before. His old home. He wiped a shadowy tear from his eye and flinched as his memories resurfaced. The ceiling exploding in a flash of light, and an ash-grey pikachu appeared where the bolt of lightning hit the ground. The ghostly outlines fast-forwarded until the ceiling was collapsed, and the thunderbolt hit his past body, and the vision was broken. He winced and floated back over to where his body was concealed beneath the vines in the distant corner. He sighed and turned around as Valerie stepped out of a tornado of fire. She strode forward wordlessly and glanced between the Kirlia and Roy.

"...How do I do this, Valerie?"

"The same way you'd possess a living being," she said softly. "Except this time… it'll be your own body. Not someone else's."

"Okay…" he rolled the vines away from the Kirlia's body and took a deep breath, trying to pull himself together. "...Gah! This is so strange!"

"Just do it. It should feel natural," she said.

"Alright… here I go." he floated towards the Kirlia, and when he drew close, he felt his entire spirit being pulled in by its force, as if it were longing for him. He let himself be drawn in, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as a tingling sensation took hold of his body. Then he felt something… cold on his back. It sent shivers across his skin. He tried to sit up, but his entire body creaked and groaned when he moved.

Valerie smiled and pointed her wand at him. "You seem a little… stiff. Let's fix that."

A warm light emanated from the tip of her wand, and he felt the healing effects settle over him. Surprisingly, he didn't feel that much different. Just more… physical. He sat up with renewed effort and caught himself with his hands as he rose from the ground, stumbling to find his feet. "Oh… having legs is weird."

Valerie chuckled and grabbed his hand to help him keep his balance. "Expand your senses, Roy. You're a psychic. You can float, if it's that bad."

"Oh, yeah." he surrounded himself with his psychic energy and nearly sent himself rocketing into the ceiling. Luckily, Valerie held him down with an iron grip, not even budging from where she stood.

For a brief moment, Roy forgot about his sorrow and his worries, only focusing on his new body. He smiled and hugged the silver-skinned Delphox, finding it slightly abnormal that he actually had arms to do that. "Thank you, Valerie."

She stood perfectly still for a minute before eventually hugging him back. "You're welcome, Roy."

 **-Dawn-**

She laid on her bed in heart-rending silence, staring in the general direction of the door into her room. She flinched when she heard a light knocking on her door.

"Come in."

The door creaked open as an Umbreon strode into her chamber. She felt the absence of psychic energy where a pokémon should be, so she knew it was a dark-type. She formed its outline from where the darkness was to figure out its shape.

"Dawn." his silvery, yet powerful voice sliced through the air.

"What do you want, Francis?" she asked as she sat up to face him.

"Master Victor insists that you state your name for the records." the Umbreon said as he pulled a small ice-blue flower-like item from its bag and placed it on her pillow.

"What is this?" she asked as she felt it with her hand.

"It's called a Frism. **(1.)** It's not native to Immanis, but it can record one message within itself, allowing one to save a message for the future," the Umbreon said. "When you open the top, you speak, and when you are finished, it will close. Say whatever you wish, as long as you state your name and what you have done for us. Master Victor needs this done before the congregation between this new 'kingdom' occurs."

She nodded and looked at the ground in dismay "Got it."

When the Umbreon left, she sighed and grabbed the small item, gently moving her hand across the top, causing its petals to open and allowing her voice to be recorded. _No more mercy. I will make him pay for taking my sight. He's not Castiel._

She cleared her throat and spoke over the pain, making sure to use concise dictation. "My name is Dawn… And I have done… unforgivable things. I've sworn to serve a dark master, and I have obeyed his every command. I've attacked and betrayed everyone who used to be my friend. One by one… I've destroyed Team Firestorm. And I…" she paused as she spoke into the small blue frism, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I have absolutely no regrets."

She placed the frism on her bedside table and held her face in her hands as she wept.

* * *

 **1\. The Frism is one of the items in PMD: Gates to Infinity. It does what Francis said; It records one message and can play it back to you.**

 **Okay, guys... So this is the final chapter of 'When Fire Falls'. Sorry if it seems abrupt or sudden, or rushed. And I apologize for waiting till almost midnight to post it. I literally wrote this chapter today, because I couldn't figure out how to end this story well. And I'll post some of my comments about the chapter/story, as well as credits and some other stuff! So... let's begin with credits for OCs in the Blazing Hearts Trilogy!**

* * *

 **The Credits are as follows:**

 **The Big Four of the Mafia (Victor, Mordred, Koumori and Rogue) were submitted by Onyxwhip**

 **The Assassins (Widow and Flatline) and Soulburner the Chandelure were submitted by Onyxwhip**

 **Team Virus (Nagini, Fornax, Arturia and Larua) was submitted by Onyxwhip**

 **Cinder the Infernape was submitted by Onyxwhip**

 **Plague the Venomoth was submitted by Onyxwhip**

 **Caroline the Meganium was submitted by Zyrogaming69**

 **Leroy the Farfetch'd was submitted by Chille3001**

 **Aaron the ash-grey Pikachu was submitted by Grey917**

 **Team Maelstrom (Jetsam, Neva, Valerie and Dylan) was submitted by AeroJester203**

 **Beatrice the Beedrill was submitted by Aerojester203**

 **Team Veros (Talis, Gunter and Deros) was submitted by Zyrogaming69**

 **Team Hope (Nashoba, Cosmo, Zenith and Shinobu) was submitted by Caelys**

* * *

 **Alright, guys! Thank you so much for reading all the way through and sticking with me, even though you might hate me at the moment! Also, welcome PsychicEevee0103 and Classicgamer to the Professor Lugia community! Thank you two for reviewing on some of my later chapters and reading all the way through! It means a lot to me! To think I came from getting one review per chapter to almost five per chapter is a big jump. It might not seem like much to some, but it means a lot to me. Especially since I essentially ripped out your hearts and stomped on them in this story. (Sorry, not sorry)**

 **Okay, so what are your thoughts about the story in general? I tried to avoid being cliché as much as possible. Do you think I succeeded? If not, where are some areas that I can improve? And trust me, after 'Infernal War', I'm done writing depressing stuff, so don't worry. :P  
**

 **And I was skeptical about Roy becoming a magic user, but I think it actually fits kind of well... doesn't it? I mean, Valerie and Roy are the two most witch-looking pokémon. It makes sense.**

 **And once again, a big thank you to Onyxwhip for submitting almost the entire Mafia to me as OCs! It's what made this whole trilogy possible! So, I already told you guys this last time, but I didn't intend to keep writing after 'The Light in the Storm'. I intended to move on to the GTI and SMD stories. Here's how the Light in the Storm would have ended in my original take: Nocturne kills Mordred with Destiny bond, Jade kills Victor and Roy brings those four members back super cliché-like and they all live happily ever after. The end. That would have been boring. I like this one much better.**

So... I will see you all probably next year with Infernal War. It's my senior year in high school, I haven't even started the story yet and I have two jobs. I seriously don't want you guys to be kept waiting all christmas and thanksgiving break, but there's nothing I can do about time. It marches forward. School is the bane of my writing right now, I swear. :P

 **Okay, but seriously, It'll be a little while before Infernal War is publish-worthy. I'm trying to avoid clichés, and that can be difficult in a 'cliché setting. I won't have time to work on Firestorm Battle Royale; I don't want you guys waiting until February for the next installment. So I'll still be here if you guys have any questions, comments, concerns or anything, but I won't be uploading anything for a while, except a sneak peek at 'Infernal War' and updates from time to time. As always, I hope you guys enjoyed 'When Fire Falls'! I hope I kept you entertained and at the edge of your seat on most chapters. If I did, go ahead and leave any comments, questions, concerns or theories about what might happen in the form of a Review or PM! I love hearing from you guys! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	33. Infernal War' Sneak Peek

**Okay, so I worked on this today and managed to get a preview done. It's actually my birthday today (Oct. 25th), so I had a little extra free time. ^_^ These scenes are all in 'Infernal War'. And it's from different parts of the story, which I haven't even begun yet. I already have some key scenes planned out, but once again, it's a matter of connecting the dots and making a whole story out of it.**

 **Also, if this is your first time hearing this; Welcome! If you aren't that big of a reviewer, that's totally cool, but I just want to let you know that it seriously helps me stay motivated to write, especially during stories like this, where it's hard to write some scenes because of how sad they are and stuff. :P So feel free to leave a review on anything you read of mine! I will be sure to thank you personally for doing so!**

 **So... yeah! Surprise sneak peek at Infernal War!**

* * *

 **-PMD: Infernal War Sneak Peek-**

 **-Connor-**

"Valerie… Stay away," Connor warned her as he transformed into a human and concentrated two aura spheres in his open palms, which he pointed directly at her. "I want to do this."

The silver-skinned Delphox sighed and pointed her wand at him, making his aura flicker and forcing his aura spheres to retract into his open palms. "Sorry Connor… But for the future's sake, I can't allow that."

"I'm warning you, one last time… Leave me alone." the human tried his best to glare at her, but she took one step forward as a sly smirk stretched across her face. "Or what? You gonna zap me with those little aura bolts?"

"I have nothing to do with this team anymore! They're all gone, Val!"

 **-Jade-**

"You know, I never really believed others when they said how much it hurt to have your heart broken... Until it was me." Roy said through the tears. "It was me listening to her say that she hated all of us… And hearing her reject everything we'd ever been through."

"Roy… We need to move. The Dusknoir will catch us if we stay still for long," Jade forced out those words and looked around, unable to use her spectral senses.

As Roy floated behind her while they moved forward, he gasped in shock and slowed down. She whirled around and covered her mouth with her hands, tears welling up in her eyes, and his entire essence began dimming, seeming to fade in and out like an illusion. He looked up at her with pain in his eyes, shadowy tears rolling down his cheeks and evaporating in midair before they hit the ground. "Jade… My journey ends here."

"Wha… What are you talking about? Roy, you never said anything about this!"

 **-Victor-**

"Hmph. So you are alive after all…" Victor snarled as the ash-grey Pikachu stared him down.

"You'd better believe it," Aaron growled. "I've been looking forward to this day for a long… long time."

"It took you long enough," the Honchkrow cackled.

"Are you ready to die, Victor?"

"Not quite," the Honchkrow chuckled. "So ignorant… Have you learned nothing in all these years?"

"The one thing I learned is that once I kill you, everyone who's worked for you is next."

"Now, now… don't drag my associates into our conflict. This is between you and I."

"You don't understand... in your quest to save outlaws from imprisonment, your group has killed so many innocent pokémon…" Aaron teared up and scowled as his cheeks sparked with electricity, and Victor smiled, then laughed. "Hm-hm-hm… Oh, I think I understand what I'm doing perfectly," Victor said with a cruel smirk. "And if that angers you… Then do something about it."

 **-Wigglytuff-**

"So have you had any success in figuring out your… sickness?" he asked Amber, who sat cross-legged in the center of his room.

"I don't know, Wigglytuff… I feel… strange. As if time itself is relying on my very existence…"

"That's impossible, though… right?" the pink fluffball wondered aloud. "Dialga bears that burden so we can keep the temporal fabric in one piece."

"Unless Connor… No, that's impossible… Dialga would never forgive me if that were the case..."

Wigglytuff placed a hand on his chin and tilted his head slightly. "You got a secret you want to tell me?"

"No. Not now. Not here." she quickly stood up, clutching at her stomach and slammed open the double-set doors with her shoulder after transforming into a pitch-black Charizard.

"That's fine. I can keep a secret! Just let me know when you're ready!"

"Just… don't say _anything_ to the others." she growled. "When Dialga finds out… It won't end well for any of us."

"You got it! ...What was the secret?"

"Just... act normal. Please?" she half-begged him.

"Okey dokey! Got it!"

* * *

 **Theories, anyone? What does Connor want to do? Will Aaron finally be satisfied? What is Amber trying to hide from Dialga? So many questions, so little answers! Don't worry, everything will be explained by the end. It is a trilogy, after all.**

 **As always, I appreciate each and every one of you that have made this series possible with your continuous input of plot ideas and characters to introduce, and I hope you'll stick through with me 'till the very end!**

 **If you enjoyed this little preview, and/or haven't reviewed anything before, then go ahead and leave any questions, comments, concerns or theories in the form of a review or PM! Much Love!**

 **-PL**


	34. Infernal War Progress Update

**PMD: Infernal War News/Progress Update**

Alright, so I realize that it's been well over a month since I've last updated you guys on my progress of PMD: Infernal War. I want to apologize for that, first of all. I haven't made enough time to keep you all informed on what's going on.

So, here's what's going on: School. The bane of my existence right now. I have to do a year and half's worth of work in one semester in order to graduate. That has put a lot of stress on my mind and my time schedule. Not to mention working a part time job half the week. That certainly doesn't help.

But that isn't even the biggest issue; I've written 'The Blazing Hearts and 'When Fire Falls' while working two jobs. The biggest issue is writers' block and insufficient motivation at the moment. The thing about being the one who writes it is this: You already know what's going to happen, more or less. So that's made the whole thing kind of 'meh' for me. Like, oh, well. I already know what happens. But no! That's not how it works! You guys are being kept in suspense, and oh so faithfully have stuck with me through this dark trilogy! I thank you all for that!

So, progress-wise… I've only written about three chapters, as of December 7th. But I have at least four future chapters written out, but I have to connect the dots without making it seem like filler. :P

So the projected release date is some time in mid-February, at the earliest.

Also I've been working on the next installment to my mystery dungeon series on the side, so I'm having to hop back and forth between Team Firestorm and the next team, and it gets kind of confusing to remember what happened in 'When Fire Falls'. I know I should wait until I'm done with this one, but I'm just getting too ahead of myself. :P

As always, I thank you all for sticking with me! It's amazing to see how much I've grown in these three years as an author, and to see how many people are inspired by my writing. I hope you are all anxiously awaiting the Infernal War, because it is not one you're going to want to miss! If you have any questions, comments, concerns or theories about events of 'Infernal War', feel free to leave them in the form of a Review or PM! I love hearing from you guys and getting to know how you like certain events, and it helps keep me motivated to write!

* * *

Also, character submissions are closed until the Super Mystery Dungeon Storyline is fully underway. I simply have too many right now to keep track of. It's gotten a bit out of hand. :P Once I get closer to finishing up Infernal War, I'll fill you guys in some more. In the meantime, don't be shy about talking to me and asking me questions! I reply to PMs and reviews within a day, and I love getting to know my audience, and helping out fellow authors with advice and stuff! Much Love!

-PL


	35. Infernal War Progress Update and Q & A!

**-Prof. Lugia-**

Alright guys! Since I've been busy working on the final installment for my story, here's a fun little thing I decided to do after scrolling through my instagram feed. It's basically a Q & A with any of the characters from my stories. You can ask them anything you want, even if they aren't alive or if the question has nothing to do with the story itself, and they'll respond in their own unique way! You can leave your questions in the form of a review or PM, either one will work! You can ask each character up to two questions! I think it'll be fun, and totally breaking the 4th wall. I like doing that.

* * *

Also a progress update, since I don't do these things without one: I'm only 5 chapters in at the moment, but I'm making progress. I had to work on school over my entire christmas break pretty much, so I haven't had much time to work on it, unfortunately. :/ But ay, It'll be an amazing story, and I think you'll all like how I've decided to end it!

* * *

Okay, so list of characters I'm willing to accept questions for, for those of you that forgot characters' names :P

Team Firestorm: Connor, Vulcan, Atlas, Vincent, Rose, Magnus, Nocturne, Mirage, Jade, Roy, Alice, Caroline, Manaphy, Dawn, Aaron, Leroy

Team Hope: Nashoba, Zenith, Cosmo, Shinobu

Big Four of the Mafia: Victor, Mordred, Rogue, Koumori

Insurgo/Temporal Guardians: Valerie, Grovyle, Celebi, Dusknoir, Amber, Basileus, Briar, Tyranitar, Galvantula

And last but not least, you can ask me anything as well! Surprise!

* * *

Let me know in the form of a review or PM who you want to ask questions to! Don't be shy; It can be anything you can think of! Much Love, and I'll see you with the answers in a few days!

-PL


	36. Infernal War is Coming

**-Prof. Lugia-**

Aaaalright! So here's what going on, readers: I got 2 days of school left, but I really don't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. I'm not entirely finished with the story, but I'm about 2/3rds of the way done, so I'm going to start uploading the first chapter of PMD: Infernal War this afternoon! Stay tuned for the final installment of the Blazing Hearts Trilogy! It's sure to amaze!  
Also, a little bit of a warning: It's going to get kind of crazy with the different points of view and stuff, so try to keep up! :P

I will see you all in Infernal War, and I hope that you all enjoy it as much as my previous ones! Much Love!

-PL


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